With Open Eyes
by heidilynn
Summary: The werewolves of Lima and Westerville are about to come together with stunning results.
1. Prologue

**_Title: With Open Eyes_**

**_Authors: Heidi and Cindy_**

**_Rating: Mature Audiences_**

**_Disclaimers: These are not our characters and we are making no money off of them. If that were the case, we wouldn't be stuck working as Daycare Professionals in our real lives._**

**_Summary: The werewolves that inhabit Lima and Westerville don't make it a regular practice to associate with each other, but all that is going to change when the packs decide to make arrangements._**

**_"The first Lycan packs in North America can be traced back to the earliest European settlement of the New World. Seeking freedom from the witch hunts and persecution which was prevalent in much of Europe at the time, the Lycan packs migrated to this continent and became the trailblazers for the settlement of this country always seeking the freedom and security of the anonymity to be found on the edges of the frontier. Eventually, however, the packs began to settle and establish their own territories ruled by an Alpha and his council of betas. Having been taught a harsh lesson by the near destruction of the European packs who had grown lax and allowed their existence to become known, the American Lycans blended into the human society, hiding themselves in plain sight, yet always maintaining their traditions and identity."_**

**_-an excerpt from An American Lycan by Arthur Abrams of Lima_**

_He relished the feel of the damp earth beneath his paws and the way the crisp, cool autumn air ruffled through his fur as he ran. His powerful muscles bunched and pulled as he raced through the moonlit forest in search of his prey. There was nothing like a good hunt to relieve some stress and God knew he needed to do that right now…between his new position as Pack Alpha and the impending birth of his first child. He looked to the side and saw his two best friends and betas running to either side of him, each with distinctly lupine grins on their faces, which he was sure, were mirrored on his. _

_The full moon hunt was Lycan tradition at its finest…their most pure form of celebration. He couldn't believe he'd almost cancelled this when they had recently had so little to celebrate with the increasingly aggressive attacks coming from one of the other packs, which occupied this area of Ohio. Right now, it was pretty hard for him to remember his troubles. In fact, had anyone asked, he'd have said life was pretty damn good for Burt Hummel._

_He slowed his pace when he reached the clearing which was the meeting area in the Lima Pack's hunting grounds near Lake Lima. His chief beta, Chris Hudson, and his secondary beta, Will Schuester, skidded to a halt beside him as they waited for the rest of the hunting party; which consisted of all of the pack, but Lizzie, who was too far along in her pregnancy to safely transform, Chris' wife Carole who was home with their young son, Finn, some of the other mothers with children too young to be without them, and Burt's other betas; Jake Puckerman, Rafael Lopez, and Michael Pierce, who had stayed behind to guard the women and children._

_"Any sign of Sue or her mongrels?" Burt inquired with a tilt of his head and what would have sounded like a series of barks and growls to human ears._

_"Not so much as a whiff." Chris replied, flopping down in a pile of leaves. Burt just rolled his eyes. Chris Hudson, he decided, would always and forever resemble an overgrown puppy. The man was mated with a young one of his own and he still had the same happy-go lucky innocence he'd had when they'd started high school several years ago. He was also fiercely loyal and the strongest fighter in the pack._

_"That doesn't mean she's not around. You know how cunning and vicious she is, especially when she has a personal ax to grind, like she does with you, Burt." Will, his secondary beta, and definitely the voice of reason between the three friends, added. To outsiders, Will didn't seem to fit in with them. Even in high school, Will, whom even their kinder schoolmates had referred to as a nerd, had seemed oddly out of place with the two burly athletes, but people had quickly learned not to mess with him, especially not around Burt and Chris. Will was the brains, Chris the brawn, and Burt the leader and often the conscience of the group. The three were an unshakable, unbeatable team who trusted each other unconditionally, which is why Burt merely nodded in response to Will's comments._

_Even had Burt not had the relationship with his Betas that he did, he would have known that Will was correct. Sue Sylvester was obsessed with him. They had been friends, once, both of them Alphas in Training for neighboring packs. They were the only ones who could understand what they were going through…the pressures they were under. He supposed they might have even mated at some point if Lizzie hadn't entered the picture. Elizabeth Black had transferred to McKinley High Burt's senior year. Her family was part of the Westerville Pack. She had attended private school until that point, but none of the men in Westerville had been of any interest to her, so her family had sent her to McKinley and to Burt. He had fallen in love with her at first sight. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She made him laugh and remember that, despite all his responsibilities, life was meant to be enjoyed. She was, to him, pure joy. They had begun dating almost immediately and mated shortly after graduation. Burt had never been happier._

_He hadn't realized until she began to pull away from him that Sue had been in love with him. He had never even considered her in a romantic light. Unlike most females, Sue had been born with brown eyes, meaning she was barren. Burt had wanted children and, while he had genuinely liked Sue, he would never have considered her as a potential mate, even had Lizzie not come along. He had unintentionally broken her heart. Her father had died shortly thereafter, and Burt knew being young, in love, and stupid that he hadn't been there for his friend like he should have. He never dreamed how much that mistake would cost him. The intelligent, strong, young woman he knew became bitter, vengeful, and cruel. Sue had begun to order attacks on his pack and his lands. She was completely unrelenting, always going for the most vulnerable in the pack…always making sure to do things she knew would hurt Burt the most. He had tried to reason with her. He had tried to make peace…that had stopped just over a year and a half ago when Sue had ordered an attack on the baby shower, which was being held for Lizzie._

_He had never known fear and anger like he had that day when Sandra Lopez had called him at the shop and told him he needed to get home now. He had felt so hopeless as their first child had been miscarried. There had even been some doubt if Lizzie would be able to conceive again. They had both gone into deep mourning. An angry Burt had even begun to initiate his own attacks. He had been certain that war between them was inevitable at that point and then a miracle had occurred. _

_Liz had become pregnant, again, and Burt's focus shifted to protecting his wife and unborn child at all costs. He had barely left her side since he'd found out she was going to be having his child. He would be with her right now, except she had informed him in no uncertain terms that he was driving her completely insane and if he didn't go out for a hunt with the boys, she was going to have him neutered. Burt smiled thinking about it. His Lizzie had the biggest heart of anyone he knew, but she also had the sharpest tongue. He may have been the Alpha of his pack, but she was undoubtedly the queen of the castle and there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. He was broken out of his musings by Chris, who suddenly stood up, growling._

_Instinctively, Burt scented the air. Someone was approaching. He tensed, ready to attack if they were unfriendly. As the wind shifted, the scent of the intruder became stronger and he relaxed as he was able to identify them. He quickly shifted into his human form and with a quick glance at his betas; Chris and Will did the same, just in time to see the two trim and distinctly female wolves race into the clearing._

_With a roll of her eyes, the lead wolf quickly transformed into a curvaceous Latina woman. The other female followed suit and a doe-eyed redhead now stood where the petite russet colored wolf had once been._

_"Hi Will." She smiled, blushing._

_"Hello Emma." Will replied, smiling gently back at her._

_"Oh, for the love of God, will the two of you quit getting all moony over each other and just find a clearing in the woods and do it already?" The other female snapped._

_"Leave them be, Sandra. You were just as bad when you and Rafael first got together." Chris smirked. He and Sandra had a love-hate relationship. They hated each other and loved to piss the other one off._

_"Well…ho, ho, ho. If it isn't the Jolly Green Giant." Sandra shot back._

_"Look…" Chris began, only to be cut off by his Alpha._

_"Enough! What are the two of you doing here? You're supposed to be back at the house, helping to watch out in case Sue tries something." Burt interrupted. _

_"Oh, you know. Thought it was a nice night for a run in the moonlight. What the hell do you think we're doing here, oh high and mighty leader? Your mate, of course, picked tonight to go into labor." Sandra responded._

_"Labor?" Burt couldn't help but ask, paling._

_"Yep and this kid is impatient. You want to be there on time, you'd better get moving." Sandra said. Without bothering to respond, Burt transformed and took off at a run._

_"How long do you think it'll be before he realizes he's running in the wrong direction?" Sandra snorted. Chris chuckled, for once in agreement with her._

_"I'll go chase him down and get him headed straight. Will, think you can finish the hunt without us and get everyone back home by dawn?" Chris asked. Will nodded._

_"Yeah, I'm good."_

_"I'll stay and help." Emma added, blushing again. Chris nodded, slipping quickly into his lupine form and chasing after Burt._

_"I guess I'd better go with Gigantor then." Sandra said transforming and loping off in the direction Burt and Chris had gone._

_Chris and Sandra quickly caught up to their panicked Alpha and got him headed back towards Lima. He ran like a man possessed and all three, despite being in peak physical condition, were panting by the time they reached the house. Burt, believing his wife and child to be too vulnerable to attack from Sue in the hospital had used his power as Alpha to get the healers to agree to come to the house when Liz went into labor._

_With his sensitive ears, he could hear his mate's cries of pain as he raced through the woods that led up to the back of their house. Growling, he pushed himself to close the last little distance to the compound that housed the Lima Pack. He transformed mid-stride, flinging open the door and rushing up the stairs, not bothering to acknowledge the greetings from those gathered, awaiting the birth of their Alpha's first child. Burt burst through the door as Liz gave one last, clearly exhausted scream. He ran to her, gripping her hand._

_"I'm so, so sorry baby. I knew I shouldn't have gone tonight. I love you. I'm here. I…" Burt rambled, brushing his wife's sweaty hair out of her eyes and kissing her forehead._

_"Burtram Michael Hummel, shut the hell up and get this thing out of me now or I swear to God, I will rip your testicles off!" Liz snapped. Burt paled, involuntarily taking a step back, only to be pulled back to his mate as another contraction ripped through her petite frame._

_"All right, Liz. Push…push hard and this should be it. You can do it, sweetheart." Carole, Chris' mate, encouraged. She was one of several women in the pack who had been trained to assist in childbirth. As the mate of Burt's chief Beta and Liz's best friend, she had been the only one that the Alpha and his mate had even considered allowing to deliver their first child. With a deep, almost guttural scream, Liz bore down and pushed._

_"That's it, Lizzie. That's it! You did it!" Carole exclaimed, almost laughing in the joy of the moment as she suctioned out the infant's mouth and the sound of its cries filled the room. "Congratulations! You have a healthy baby boy. Burt, do you want to cut the cord?" _

_Looking faintly nauseous, Burt shook his head. Carole grinned, deftly doing it for him. She then quickly cleaned off the baby and bundled him into a blanket before handing him to Liz, who was leaning tiredly on Burt._

_Tears were streaming down both parents' faces as they looked down on their tiny baby's face for the first time. As he looked down at that face, with its features so similar to his mother's, Burt experienced for the second time something he had once believed impossible; love at first sight. He would do anything and everything to protect this child and ensure his happiness. It was a moment of pure and unadulterated joy for Burt and it lasted only as long as it took for his precious baby boy to open his eyes._

_"Liz! His eyes!" Burt gasped, staring at the bright crystalline orbs of his newborn son._

_"They're beautiful." Liz firmly replied._

_"They're blue, Liz. Lycans don't have blue eyes, especially not male Lycans." Burt responded._

_"Yes, they do, Burt. It's just very rare and very special. Just like he is." Liz answered, tucking the blanket tighter around her baby._

_"God, Lizzie…that's our son. You know what those eyes mean as well as I do. He's a breeder, Liz." Burt said his voice barely a whisper of sound in the room._

_"So help me God, Burt Hummel. If I ever hear of you referring to our child with that hideous term again, it will be the last words you ever speak to me because I will be gone." Liz snapped._

_"But Liz, do you have any idea of what he's facing? What kind of life he's going to have?" Burt asked._

_"The best life we can give him. We will not let him be restricted by this. We will treat him exactly as _

_what he is…a miracle and our son, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel." Liz insisted and as Burt glanced down once more at his beautiful baby boy, he couldn't help but agree._

_The years passed swiftly for the young family. Kurt's blue eyes had been a curiosity for the members of the pack at first, but by the time he was old enough to recognize that fact, everyone had become accustomed to the active little blue eyed boy, who won everyone over with his loving heart and feisty demeanor. Honestly, who cared if he spent more time playing dolls with the girls than ball with the boys?_

_Unfortunately, Sue seemed to see Kurt's birth and Burt's obvious happiness as a slap to the face and her attacks became both more frequent and significantly more vicious. Burt was soon forced to retaliate in kind. By the time Kurt was four, the packs were in a state of all-out war. Losses began to stack up on both sides. Burt did his best to keep his pack safe; however, Sue always seemed to be one step ahead. Soon, people were dying almost daily and both sides were paying the price for their leader's hatred of each other. It was almost as if a gray pall had settled over the heart of Lima, bringing pain and tragedy and misery to all._

_While her husband waged war, Liz did her best to heal the pack's wounds. She paid visits to the families who had lost loved ones, ensuring they had everything they needed to cope and recover._

_She started a small school for the pack children when it was decided that it was too dangerous for them to go off pack lands for school. Liz loved caring for and teaching the children, especially because she had been unable to have any more children after Kurt._

_Who knew how long things would've continued this way if it weren't for the events of one warm, spring day just after Kurt had turned eight. Liz sat in the backyard, watching the children who hadn't been picked up yet playing. She smiled at the sound of Kurt's easy laughter as he sat at his small white table having a tea party with Rachel Berry and Mercedes Jones. Nearby, Britney Pierce and Quinn Fabray stood in the shade of the big oak tree in the yard giggling at the sarcastic comments Santana Lopez was making about the boys who were playing football. Santana reminded Liz so much of her mother Sandra who had been killed in a raid a few months prior. She even had the same sort of love hate relationship with Chris' son, Finn, who was one of the boys playing the game along with Noah Puckerman, Artie Abrams, and Mike Chang. _

_"Nice throw son!" Chris shouted at his son, who grinned and waved. At his words, Liz shook herself out of the reverie she was in. She hadn't even noticed Chris arrive to pick up the boy. "Evening Lizzie. They give you any trouble today?"_

_"No more than normal Chris. This close to the full moon they're all a little restless being cooped up like they have been, but nothing too serious. How were things at the shop today?" Liz responded with a smile._

_"Busy. Your mate asked me to let you know that he would be home in about a half an hour. Will, Michael, and Rafael should be here around then too. We have to figure out who is going to replace Jake. It won't be easy," Chris said frowning, his eyes seeking out Noah who was horsing around with the other boys. "How is he doing?"_

_"Not great… acting out. He's angry. He lost his Dad and his Mom has pretty much shut down. We've all been taking turns taking care of him and Sarah, but…" Liz trailed off sadly. Chris sighed, shaking his head._

_"Just one more thing to lie at that bitch's door. We have to…" Chris stopped as a shrill cry rent the air. _

_"Artie!" Britney screamed. Chris and Liz whirled to where the boys had been playing. The legs of the young boy were the only thing visible. The rest of him was hidden by the bushes from where he had been retrieving a ball Finn had overthrown. Chris lifted his face scenting the air._

_"Liz!" he shouted. "Get them inside now!" He transformed with a growl, charging the bushes as five large wolves emerged from their hiding spot. Liz frantically ushered the kids into the house. Finn and Puck came last half dragging, half carrying the shredded form of Artie Abrams between them. _Reply to:

"_Kurt, go… lock the doors behind you… all of them. Take everyone to your room and lock those doors too. Move all your furniture in front of it… Don't let anyone in until Daddy gets here. Go! I have to help Finn's Daddy," Liz ordered, pushing the children into the house._

_"Mommy!" Kurt cried clinging to her, his bright blue eyes wide with panic and filled with tears. _

_"Kurt go baby! I love you! Don't forget that! I love you," she said, hugging Kurt tightly before pushing him inside and transforming as the lock clicked behind her. She growled low in her throat and ran without hesitation into a fight she knew would very probably be her last. _

_Burt swallowed hard as he fought back the tears which were threatening. His pack couldn't see him as weak, not even at times like these. He was painfully aware of his unusually quiet and somber son next to him as mourner after mourner filed by placing roses on the casket which stood nearby. He had come to hate these funerals over the last several years, but none more so than the one yesterday for his best friend, his bother in all but blood, and the one today for his sweet, beautiful Lizzie._

_His heart was broken, irrevocably shattered. He would never ever be the same. He looked around at his pack at all of those who were there, and couldn't help but be reminded of those who weren't there, who never would be again. He looked at the pack's children all standing in their own huddled mass around Finn, who had put on a brave face, his eyes dry, refusing to show weakness. _

_The boy looked so much like his father that Burt couldn't help but have brief flash back to that horrible moment when he and the others had come into the backyard to something out of his worst nightmares. His Lizzie was lying lifeless in a pool of her own blood while his best friend Chris was barely standing as he desperately fought to keep the three remaining intruders away from the children who were hidden in the house. Burt and the others had destroyed the interlopers, but not quick enough to save Chris whose last words had been a plea to Burt to take care of Carole and to be the father to Finn he wouldn't be allowed to be. He had been frantic as he tore through the house to the children and hadn't relaxed until they finally managed to get into Kurt's room, only to find himself face to face with a very young, very frightened, fully transformed Finn who was growling and standing protectively in front of his friends. It had taken almost an hour to calm the boy down enough to transform back and allow anyone near his friends._

_He still couldn't believe that Finn had managed to transform at eight. He had never heard of anyone achieving that before. Lycans didn't transform until they hit their adolescence. It was a known fact. A certain level of maturity was needed to accept the changes both physically and mentally, but then again, Burt supposed none of these young ones could really be considered children anymore. One only had to look into their eyes to see that. He looked down into his own son's bright blue eyes to find them glistening with so much pain. Burt squeezed the boy's shoulder offering what comfort he could here, and hating the fact that he would only have to add to his son's pain in the coming years._

_Kurt would never be Alpha. He didn't have the killer instinct that was necessary for the role. Burt had discussed it with Lizzie just a few weeks before. She had reluctantly agreed with her mate and had reassured him that they would get their baby through yet another hurdle life was throwing at him together. Burt almost lost the tenuous control he had on his emotions at the realization that now he would have to get Kurt through this on his own. A firm hand on his own shoulder broke Burt out of his thoughts and he looked up into the strong, kind face of Henry Anderson, the Alpha for the Westerville pack Elizabeth had been born into._

_"Burt, I can't even begin to express how very sorry I am for your loss," Henry said, something in the man's voice made Burt's control of his emotions slide even further._

_"Thank you Henry," he managed to choke out. "I'm glad you could make it. Elizabeth would have been touched."_

_"Yes well, she was a remarkable young woman. I had hoped that she and Drake would have made a match but, it was not meant to be and if they had, I wouldn't have young Blaine here," Henry said looking down fondly at the curly haired boy who stood solemnly at his side._

_"Oh is this your grandson? He's gotten so big. Kurt," Burt said looking down at his son. "This is Blaine Anderson and his grandfather Henry. Mr. Anderson is the Alpha of your Mommy's home pack."_

_"Hello… It's very nice to meet you," Kurt said shyly, looking up at the two people in front of him through his lashes._

_"Hi, I'm sorry about your Mom. My mother is dead too," Blaine replied quietly._

_"Thank you," Kurt said his voice barely a whisper, although he finally looked fully into the other boys face. Burt cringed at the gasp from both Andersons as they caught sight of Kurt's blue eyes._

_"You have really pretty eyes," Blaine breathed, a tone of awe in his voice. Kurt blushed and hid behind his Burt's leg. Burt looked at Henry with a raised eyebrow. The older man merely shrugged giving his grandson a loving smile._

_"I couldn't agree more Blaine," he said smiling kindly at Kurt before becoming more serious. "I had more than one reason for coming today Burt. I know that this isn't the time or the place; however, we need to talk… soon. This situation with Sue cannot continue. You two are going to destroy each other and everyone around you if this goes on much longer. Something needs to be done." Burt looked around at his pack; their pain was almost as palpable to him as his own. _

_"I'm not sure if it can be," he sighed. "Even if I stop it, she won't. I've tried it before."_

_"Then it's time for the Lycan Council to step in. Don't worry Burt. We will end this. You just concentrate on healing your pack and your family. We'll talk more in a few days," Henry said. He placed a comforting hand on Burt's shoulder once more, before leading his grandson away. The rest of the funeral passed in a blur until it was just Burt and Kurt standing alone at Lizzie's graveside._

_"It's time to say good bye son," Burt said quietly. Side by side, they walked to Lizzie's grave, placing one last rose upon it. Feeling completely inadequate, Burt watched as tears began to slip silently out of his son's crystalline blue eyes. Not knowing what else to do, Burt offered the boy his hand which Kurt immediately took, clinging to it like a lifeline. _

_Turning, they walked hand and hand out of the cemetery, both of them leaving a piece of their broken hearts behind._


	2. Alliances Are Begun

"_**Because Lycans are, by their very natures, territorial creatures, disputes between packs are frequent and often violent. It is for this reason that one of the most important, and perhaps convoluted, aspects of Lycan culture are alliances. Many alliances are essentially treaties between rival packs, however, the most effective and binding form of alliance is the marriage contract. Marriage contracts bind to packs together by uniting the Alpha families of each pack to gain peace, secure territory, or garner power in a dispute against a third party." **_

_**-excerpt from **__**The Politics of the Wolf**__** by Arthur Abrams of Lima **_

"_Will, I expect you to handle this quietly." Burt ordered. He was concerned that they wouldn't be able to keep this under wraps and he didn't even want to think about what would happen if Kurt found out about it before they were ready for him to know._

"_Yes, sir. I will make sure that no one knows about this agreement until you and Anderson decide to make it known," Will hastened to reassure his Alpha. He understood how important this alliance was for both of the packs involved and knew that, as genial as Burt seemed to most people, there would be hell to pay if he messed this up._

"_And I want to know that Kurt will be safe with them." Burt added, unable to help but feel the niggling guilt of doing this to his only son by blood._

"_I assure you that I have Kurt's best interests in mind with this agreement, Burt. I care about him too. We all do. Even if I didn't, however, you have final say as both his Alpha and father. If anything in the agreement does not sit right with you, it will be changed."_

"_I know." Burt acknowledged._

"_We are doing the right thing," Will comforted his closest friend. He had been Burt's Beta for a very long time and knew exactly how difficult this whole situation was for him, especially because Kurt was Burt's last reminder of his first mate, Elizabeth. "This will align the packs as allies and prevent Sue from trying to take over all of the Ohio territory. You have my word that Kurt will be safe with the Westerville Pack and that young Anderson will treat him well."_

"_That better be the case, Will, or it will be your head. I just hope Kurt will realize how important this is and that he won't be too resistant when he finds out." Burt mumbled._

"_Kurt may be upset, but he'll know you were trying to do the right thing by him."_

"_You obviously have not met my son," Burt joked. Will chuckled. He had known Kurt his whole life and knew that he was capable of throwing a fit that could quite literally shake the walls down when he was angry enough._

"_Why don't we just focus on getting the agreement worked out? I mean, the Westerville Pack may not even be interested." Will said. Burt frowned._

"_They will if the rumors about the Anderson heir's orientation are correct. I just hope he's more like his grandfather than his father. Drake is an ass, but I respected Henry Anderson more than anyone I ever met. Either way, concentrate on getting the details ironed out between our packs."_

"_I will do my best, Burt." Will said before leaving the room. He would work as hard as necessary to make sure that Kurt, as well as both packs was safe._

_ZZZZZZ_

_Will met his Alpha in a secluded hallway before they were to meet with their counterparts in the Westerville Pack. He was on edge to say the least and wouldn't feel better until everything was official. Sue's attacks were getting more blatant and dangerous by the day. He felt like the whole Lycan community in Ohio was just sitting on a giant bomb ready to explode and this alliance was the only hope of diffusing the situation._

"_Everything is set and everyone is on board?" Burt asked one more time._

"_Burt, I promise. The agreement will be honored by both packs because the Alpha's declare it. Kurt will be safe and you can trust me when I say that I know Blaine Anderson is a good kid. He's a lot more Henry than Drake," Will replied, reminding his Alpha of the hard work he had put into this and the thorough research that had been done._

"_I keep hearing you say that Will, but it still feels wrong." Burt acknowledged, sighing and rubbing his forehead._

"_I know it does. You've raised him to be a strong independent person. You want him to be able to make his own choices, especially about this, but that's just not in the cards for him. You're doing this to protect him from Sue and all of the other people who would take advantage of him, like those wanderers who passed through last fall that Puck and Finn stopped from getting through our defenses. Once he is mated, particularly to an Alpha in a pack as strong and influential as Westerville is, he'll be so much safer. It's for his own good, whether he sees it that way or not," Will reminded the other man._

"_Easy for you to say that, Will." Burt teased. "You're not the one who is going to be facing the wrath of the ice queen as Finn calls it," Will put a comforting hand on Burt's shoulder, wishing he could come up with something to make his fearless leader feel better, but he was coming up empty. _

"_You're right though, we really don't have a choice. It's the best option we have for him and the pack. I just wish I could make him see that. Having said that, it's probably not a good idea to keep the Andersons waiting," Burt said sighing heavily once more before turning to walk down to another hallway to meet the representatives of the Westerville Pack. _

_As they turned the corner towards the dining hall, they spotted Drake Anderson, Lane Hughes, the Westerville Beta, and a rather short well-dressed young man waiting for them in front of the doors. Burt had a brief flashback to the polite boy he had met at Lizzie's funeral. He sent a brief prayer up to her that he was doing the right thing for their son and that this boy would be worthy of him. _

"_Drake, Lane it's good to see you again," Burt said in greeting._

"_Burt, William," Drake acknowledged inclining his head. "This is my son Blaine. Blaine this is Burt Hummel, Lima's Alpha and your future father in law." _

"_It's very nice to see you again sir, and under much better circumstances," The young man stated, nodding in deference to Burt's status as Alpha. Burt studied the youth quietly for a moment. He liked the way the boy held himself confidently, but without the arrogance that Drake Anderson exuded. He reached out a hand for the young man to shake._

"_It's good to see you too kid and call me Burt. We're going to be family soon enough. Speaking of which, I was sorry to hear about your grandfather. I will never forget what he did negotiating the peace between this pack and Sue's," he said. _

_A brief look of sorrow shone Blaine's face, but was quickly covered with a smile as he shook his hand with what Burt was pleased to note was a steady, firm grip. Will sensing his Alpha's satisfaction, couldn't help but breathe a mental sigh of relief._

"_This alliance is going to be such a benefit to all of us." Will said enthusiastically._

"_Yes, it's nice to be able to say that at last my gay son is finally good for something." Drake murmured, smirking coldly in Blaine's general direction. Burt couldn't help but notice the flash of anger in Blaine's eyes before his polite mask was in place once more. _

"_What do you mean your gay son is finally good for something?" Burt asked quietly. Those who knew him well knew that tone of voice was never good._

"_Look at him. He's tiny and soft. I would've chosen differently if I could have. At least now I know he can produce an heir who will hopefully be an improvement." _

_Burt narrowed his eyes at Drake Anderson. He'd always known the man was an idiot, but to speak of his son and heir like that in front of outsiders was unthinkable to Burt, who loved his son unconditionally. He was already worried about Kurt's reception in Westerville, and this just added fuel to the fire._

"_If that's your attitude about homosexuality Anderson, maybe we should forget this agreement all together," Burt growled. "I will not allow my son to be mistreated for being who and what he is." _

"_I'm well aware of your son's value Hummel, and, regardless of any personal revulsion I may feel, I will see that he is treated with the respect he deserves, just as I promised your beta. You know as well as I do that we can't afford not to be allied together against Sue. She's our most dangerous enemy. If nothing else, I can assure you, your son will be treated better by us then if he becomes one of those barbarians' play things."_

_Burt wished he could take his pack and his son and leave, but, as much as he disliked it, Anderson was right. They had dealt with Sue for too many years and she was getting meaner as she got older. He would never allow Kurt to fall into her clutches. As much of a jerk as Drake Anderson was, Burt knew Kurt would be safer in Westerville, besides, Will was right. The younger Anderson seemed like a good kid, and he'd better be because Burt was entrusting the most important thing in his life to him. Still, Burt felt the need to make sure his feelings on the matter were clear to the other Alpha_

"_You had better see to it that he is Anderson, or you'll see just exactly how dangerous an enemy I can be," Burt threatened. "Now let's get this over with before I change my mind."_

"_Aren't we waiting for your son?" Drake asked, curious as he hadn't met his son's future mate yet and had assumed that he would be entering the hall with them._

"_No. He is already inside. I figured it would be best to tell him with witnesses present." Burt answered sharply._

"_So, you do not think he will be fully accepting of the idea, then?" Drake murmured, attempting to subtly discover exactly what type of person would be introduced into his pack._

"_Kurt will follow my orders. I just felt that it was better to tell the entire pack in a controlled environment." Burt wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction of knowing he'd kept this from Kurt specifically. He wouldn't allow the other Alpha to know his son's weaknesses._

"_I see. Well, I don't know how your pack is going to feel about our arrangement." Drake smirked. He knew that he would enjoy watching reactions of the Lima Pack. They always did put on a good show. "But I know my pack will accept that I am doing what is right and accept Kurt as one of us after they are mated. I do find his blue eyes rather intriguing. There hasn't been a carrier in our pack since before we came over from Europe at the very least. I always believed they were a myth."_

"_No myth." Burt acknowledged. "One of the founders of our pack was a blue eyed carrier, but we haven't had anyone in our family lines with blue eyes for at least four generations."_

"_We're just learning all sorts of new things about our packs." Drake was captivated with the idea of a blue eyed pack member. It would keep things interesting, that was for sure. _

"_I was rather surprised that your biological son was not your Alpha in Training. I had assumed, when William approached me, that it would be your step-son being offered and that he was the one with the blue eyes. It is so unusual to see the Alpha title pass to one not related by blood when there is a blood heir."_

"_Will and I felt that Finn was better suited to lead the pack when I step down in a few years." Burt tried to maintain his calm because he was used to getting these sorts of questions for the last two years from others. "Kurt is just not…right for that role."_

"_Is that why you kept him away from the other packs? I don't remember ever seeing him or hearing of him at the yearly meetings of the territories, although I have seen Finn several times. I had actually thought he was your blood son and wasn't even aware that you had another child." Drake Anderson watched Burt Hummel very carefully. He smiled when he realized just how much he was getting under the other Alpha's skin._

"_As both his father and his Alpha, I felt it would be the safest option for him. You've said yourself how valuable someone like Kurt is and how readily certain people would be to take advantage of him." Burt offered a silent prayer of thanks when he heard Santana shout loudly, grateful that they could leave this discussion before he punched Drake Anderson. "We should get in there before they decide to tear it up."_

"_We should. Wouldn't want them to destroy each other before we give them the good news, now would we?" Drake Anderson laughed._

_As had been agreed upon, Anderson and his Beta entered first. Burt and Will would follow in a few moments. Blaine would enter last, just before dinner began and the announcement was made._

"_So, kid. How do you feel about this?" Burt asked when Drake was gone. He hoped the boy would talk more freely without his father there._

"_It's my duty, of course and I am in agreement with my Alpha." Blaine said frowning, trying to gauge the purpose of the question. One did not grow up with Drake Anderson as a father without learning to weigh your words carefully._

"_Not what I asked." Burt pushed. Blaine eyed the man warily, unused to such blunt honesty. He decided the best approach would just be to reciprocate the older man's attitude._

"_Nervous, I guess. I knew I'd never have a say in who my mate was, but I hoped it would be my grandfather doing the choosing. My father isn't exactly open to new ideas. If he had his choice, I'd be mated to some submissive little girl who would be loyal to him instead of me. He couldn't resist this offer, however, the prestige of gaining a blue eyed carrier for the pack… I'm not my father Mr. Hummel. I don't want my pack to be what he has made it. I need someone who will stand by me and be accepting of change. I really hope Kurt can be that person. I hope Kurt is strong enough to stand up to my father if the time comes." Burt raised an eyebrow._

"_You think that time will come soon?" Burt asked, liking the young man more and more. He would be good for Kurt._

"_You've met my father Mr. Hummel. You've seen how he is. What do you think?" Blaine asked. He knew he was playing a dangerous game. One word of this conversation to his father could destroy him, but his grandfather had both liked and trusted Burt Hummel and that was good enough for Blaine, besides, the older man deserved to understand exactly what may lie ahead for his son. Blaine was pleased and relieved to hear a quiet chuckle from the Lima Alpha._

"_I think things are going to get very interesting very soon. Just make sure that my son is not caught in the crossfire and treat him well or I will tear you limb from limb. We clear?" Blaine paled, but stood resolute, knowing it wasn't just his life hanging in the balance but the safety of his future mate and his whole pack..._

"_I promise I won't do anything to intentionally hurt him. I will protect him with my life," he vowed._

"_I'll hold you to that, kid. Let's go in Will."_


	3. Arrangements Are Made

"_**Blue-eyed males, or carriers as they have come to be known in the Lycan community, are exceedingly rare. There have only been two known carriers born in the last century. While there is some debate on the subject, it is believed that carriers are almost exclusively submissives. As a result the life of a carrier is never an easy one and is almost always fraught with difficulties as they fight to not be taken advantage of by those stronger than them. Additionally, the fact that the offspring of carriers are stronger, faster, and more intelligent than the average Lycan have led the carriers to being the most highly coveted member of a pack. Several of the most vicious of the Lycan wars were fought over possession of a carrier." **_

_**-An excerpt from **__**A Treatise on the Blue Eyed Carrier**__** by Arthur Abrams of Lima **_

_The dinner was going as badly as one could expect. The Westerville Pack was quiet and orderly, taking their cues from their Alpha while the Lima Pack was loud and happy. _

_Blaine, for his part, was busily trying to covertly watch his potential mate. The young man had quite a lot on his plate at the moment, being mated to someone he hated or someone whom his father could easily manipulate would be disastrous to his plans. If, however, Kurt was the type of person whom Blaine fervently hoped he was, this mating could be the answer to so many of his problems._

_So far, Blaine was both pleased and impressed with what he saw. Aside from the fact that Kurt had grown from the boy whom Blaine had rather embarrassingly called pretty into an absolutely gorgeous young man, he was clearly someone Blaine felt he could really like and maybe even more. Kurt seemed to be friends with everyone in his pack. He'd laughed with the girls and given the boys advice about the girls. He was obviously concerned about his father's health. Blaine had seen him more than once scolding the Alpha about the fried foods he kept slipping onto his plate when Kurt wasn't looking. He was rather astonished to see Burt merely roll his eyes at his son and give him an affectionate smile, instead of the harsh reprimand Blaine would have received had he attempted to do anything even remotely similar with his father._

_In contrast, he was less than pleased with his own pack members and friends for their blatant staring at Kurt. He knew that his soon to be mate's blue eyes made him a rarity amongst Lycans, however, that did not excuse their behavior. _

_Even from his brief observation of the young man, Blaine could see that Kurt appeared to be a caring, sensitive soul with a great sense of pride in himself, at least if the clothes and expensive products he used were any indication. He could smell the delightful scents rolling off of the beautiful boy from across the room. _

_Watching him, Blaine resolved that he would not allow anyone to treat Kurt as merely a means to an end, when clearly there was so much more to him than that. He allowed himself a small pleased smile. Kurt Hummel was definitely more than just a pretty face. He had all of the qualities Blaine was looking for in a mate, and he was determined to make sure that nothing got in the way of making him his._

_While Blaine was busy observing Kurt, Burt was busy watching Blaine and his pack. _

_He couldn't help but notice that some of the younger wolves from Westerville seemed to defer more to Blaine than his father and he thought back to the conversation in the hallway and wondered exactly what the situation was there. It at least gave him some hope for the future. He couldn't quite shake his worry for Kurt though. Most of the Westerville Pack kept shooting him covert looks, and, Kurt had obviously noticed because his son looked so uncomfortable and picked at the food on his plate…not making eye contact except for those in his own pack whom he was closest to. _

_Burt smirked as he realized that Blaine had noticed the looks as well, and did not seem pleased. Perhaps Burt didn't need to worry after all. He was brought out of his reverie as desert was cleared away and the Westerville Alpha rose to his feet._

"_Quiet please." Drake Anderson stated firmly and while the Westerville Pack snapped their mouths shut and turned their attention to him; he was completely ignored by the Lima Pack. Rolling his eyes at his pack's strong willed refusal to acknowledge the other Alpha, he stood up._

"_Hey! Shut it!" Burt shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. His rowdy pack immediately settled down and went silent. "We have an announcement to make." _

"_Now, you are all aware that our two packs have maintained a love-hate relationship for many years. We cannot allow that to be the case anymore with Sue's increased attacks upon both of us. Will Schuester and Lane Hughes have been negotiating for the last several months and we have finally reached an accord. At the next meeting on the Winter Solstice, our packs will become allies with the 'marriage' of my son, Blaine Anderson to Kurt Hummel of the Lima Pack."_

_There was a moment of silence as everyone in the hall seemed to draw a collective breath and then as Burt predicted, all hell broke loose. Finn and Puck were shouting and standing protectively over Kurt. Santana was cursing rather loudly and vulgarly in Spanish, while the other girls all gathered around their blue-eyed friend comfortingly. _

_Kurt, after a moment of stunned disbelief, shot his father a venomous glare. He felt so betrayed and abandoned. Shaking off his well-meaning friends and family, he took advantage of the chaos and slipped out of the room; feeling the need to escape._

_Blaine saw his future mate go and with a quick gesture to Wes, went to follow him. Blaine was well aware of the reports which his father had been receiving about Sue, particularly in regards to her near obsession with obtaining Kurt for her pack. He wouldn't be safe alone, even here. He had promised Burt Hummel he would take care of Kurt, so he might as well start now, besides, he wanted an opportunity to speak to the man he would be spending the rest of his life with. He found him sitting on the floor, near the banquet room, with his knees drawn up to his chest. _

"_Hi." Blaine quietly said as he approached his future mate, not wanting to scare him. _

"_I'm not sure if you remember me or not, I'm Blaine."_

"_No… I can't say that I do. You're obviously not that memorable," Kurt sneered, wiping away the remaining tears on his cheeks. Blaine had seen the brief flash of recognition in his eyes however, and he wasn't fooled by Kurt's hostile attitude which he was obviously using to hide his fear. Blaine quickly schooled his features to remain calm, almost as if dealing with a new, skittish wolf. _

"_That's completely understandable, I'm sure it was an extremely difficult day for you. My grandfather introduced us at your mother's funeral. You were the most beautiful boy I had ever seen… and the saddest," Blaine replied. Kurt was obviously thrown off that Blaine hadn't reacted with the anger he had expected, a flurry of emotions passed through his expressive eyes before he settled on an icy glare._

"_What do you want?" he snapped._

"_I saw you leave and was concerned. Are you all right?" he asked gently._

"_All right? No! Of course I'm not all right. I didn't choose this. I wasn't even consulted and I don't want to be married to you or anyone right now. I certainly don't want to be married to a complete stranger," Kurt growled._

"_I didn't choose this either, but it's for the good of our packs. We have no choice but to follow through." Blaine responded, doing his best to give the impression that he was resigned to the idea that he had to follow the path that his father had set for him, at least in this. It was too dangerous for him to reveal his true thoughts here with so many of his father's people around. He had already been far too indiscreet in his words to Kurt's father._

"_I will not just blindly bow down to some agreement which I was not even told about," Kurt snapped. Deep down, he knew he had no choice, but it just wasn't in his nature to give up without a fight. _

_Blaine narrowed his eyes. He did not come out here to fight, but it seemed one was going to be inevitable. His Alpha instincts kicked in and he found himself putting the full force of his authority behind his words._

"_We will go through with this, Kurt, because we are protecting our loved ones and this will be the best way to insure the safety of both of our packs," he ordered in a tone of voice which had never failed to be obeyed, before now. Kurt merely raised a haughty eyebrow at the attempt to control him and smirked. _

"_You have a lot to learn about me Anderson. Rule number one, you don't get to go alpha on me. I have a mind of my own and I can use it." Kurt didn't politely take to being talked down to, by anyone. Blaine fought down the grin that he knew was threatening. If Kurt didn't bow to his authority as Alpha, he wouldn't bow to Drake's either. Kurt Hummel was going to be a challenge to convince that this was the right path. Luckily, Blaine loved a good challenge._

"_It's my duty as an Alpha in Training and as your future mate to make you see reason." Blaine replied somewhat haughtily, still playing the role of dutiful son, more to see Kurt's reaction than anything. The other boy didn't disappoint him._

"_And how do you plan to do that?" Kurt couldn't resist asking as he rose and stood to his full height, a good inch taller than Blaine. "This is a stupid plan and won't do anything to deter Sue. I refuse to see any reason in this idiocy." _

"_There are many ways for me to make you see reason," Blaine couldn't quite stop the grin this time, letting his true personality show through somewhat. "Oh and Kurt, just like you're not intimidated by the whole Alpha thing, you should know that I'm not at all intimidated by size. I've had to get used to dealing with bigger opponents on a regular basis." Kurt's porcelain skin took on a red tint, although whether it was from anger or embarrassment at being called out on his attempts to appear threatening to him, Blaine wasn't sure._

"_You... just… you… Ugggh! You are infuriating! Do you know that?" Kurt growled. "And I will NOT see reason. This is my life and people just decided one of the most significant things in it for me. What happened to courtship and being in love before deciding to get mated? Is it so wrong to want that?" _

_Blaine blinked at Kurt's sudden change of emotion and immediately felt contrite for teasing him._

"_I wish that could be the case as much as you do, but you know that doesn't happen for people like us. We have rules and traditions that we have followed since before either one of us was born. I didn't get any more choice in this than you have," he sighed, wishing he did get to choose for himself, although he may very well chosen Kurt either way. The boy definitely made an impression._

"_A marriage isn't a business deal." Kurt frowned. He couldn't help wanting a fairy tale, even if he had known for a while that it wasn't realistic for him. "I mean, you're not going to like living in Lima. It's rather boring." Blaine snorted in disbelief, rolling his eyes._

"_Kurt, I'm the Alpha in Training for our pack. We will be living in Westerville. I know that you're aware of that, so quit trying to play stupid," he ordered. Kurt narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to utter what Blaine was certain would be a scathing retort, when they were interrupted by the arrival of one of the biggest people Blaine had ever seen._

"_Dude! Where did you go? Do you know how bad it would be if one of Sue's people got you?"_

"_As you can see Finn, she didn't. I'm fine. Now leave me the hell alone," Kurt snapped._

"_Whoa! I didn't know they were planning this so don't take it out on me bro. Who's this?" Finn asked. Kurt sighed._

"_Blaine meet Finn, my step-brother. Finn meet Blaine, my…" Kurt trailed off._

"_His intended," Blaine said firmly._

"_That remains to be seen," Kurt murmured._

"_Denial is not just a river in Egypt, Kurt," Blaine smirked. Kurt shot him an icy glare, while Finn shifted awkwardly in the tense silence which followed._

"_So, umm… you're gay then?" Finn asked suddenly. Blaine blinked in surprise at the suddenness of the question._

"_Finn Hudson! Oh my God! You did not just ask that!" Kurt practically shrieked, punching the taller boy in the arm. "You are such an…"_

_Kurt's angry tirade was interrupted by the arrival of Blaine's two closest friends, Wes and David. He had never been less happy to see them in his life. He was really enjoying the battle of wits with Kurt. They skittered to a halt next to him, breathing a sigh of relief when they saw that he was okay and just outside the banquet hall._

"_Blaine, your Dad just noticed you were gone. You need to get back inside ASAP before he gets annoyed." Wes chastised the other boy._

"_He's always annoyed and I wanted to talk to Kurt alone. I think that's more important than my father's latest hissy fit," Blaine replied._

"_Oh, we're sorry. We didn't mean to interrupt the two of you." David winked at Blaine before turning to size Kurt up. "I'm David, and this is Wes by the way since Blaine is rude and didn't introduce us."_

"_Charmed," Kurt responded acidly. "I'm Kurt and this is my step-brother Finn."_

_He couldn't help involuntarily shifting closer to Finn's protective form. He didn't like the way the two boys were looking at him. It had been hard enough to ignore the stares at dinner because of his blue eyes. It was even worse up close. This was the reason he avoided pack business as much as possible. He liked his anonymity because his blue eyes always made him the center of attention._

"_You're Lima's Alpha in Training aren't you?" Wes asked._

"_Yeah," Finn acknowledged with a grin, unaware of Kurt shifting nervously next to him._

"_Are they done yelling and screaming in there?" Kurt asked._

"_Not really. That's why I came looking for you. My mom thinks it would be a good idea if we went home." Finn shrugged. As the Alpha in Training, sometimes this meeting and arrangement stuff was boring and went on for hours._

"_Probably." Kurt agreed; happy that he would soon be able to hide in his basement away from the looks which plagued him everywhere he went. "Anderson, I would say it was a pleasure, but…" He trailed off insultingly. Blaine just gave him a smirk in return. _

_Disconcerted, Kurt turned on his heel and followed Finn._

"_Oh, Kurt?" Blaine called just before he reached the door. "It was delightful sparring with you. I'll see you soon."_

"_He's a feisty one isn't he? Does he make your little heart go pitter patter Blaine?" Wes asked teasingly once Kurt and Finn were gone and they were alone in the hall._

"_That remains to be seen. Either way he is my future mate. That being the case, gentlemen, we need to have a conversation about appropriate behavior around him. He is not an object and neither he nor I appreciated the looks being sent his way at dinner," Blaine said infusing his voice with authority._

"_We've never seen a wolf with blue eyes, Blaine. We couldn't help but stare at him." David tried to excuse their pack's rude behavior._

"_I don't want to see any more of it, guys. You really made him uncomfortable. I don't want him to feel that way around the pack and especially around some of my best friends. He will start attending Dalton in January with us and he shouldn't feel like he has to hide."_

"_Seriously? He's going to be attending Dalton? I thought you'd…"_

"_I'd what? Keep him pregnant and at home?" Blaine grew angry with these friends of his for even thinking the idea. "He's a person, Wesley, and he will be treated as such. Am I clear?"_

"_Crystal." Wes replied, looking down and away from the boy he already considered his alpha._

"_Good, now, let's get back inside before my father starts snarling and foaming at the mouth."_


	4. Family Battles and Neutral Ground

"_**In the last half of the nineteenth century as the country became increasingly settled and packs began to form more permanent residences, it became necessary to establish set territorial boundaries. This often resulted in bloody border skirmishes and often all out war when two rival packs attempted to claim the same areas. The battles for territory reached their peak in the late 1890's when the James pack was completely wiped out by the rival Daughtry pack leading to the Lycan Council of 1899 which established guidelines for the formation of territories and initiated the groundwork for neutral areas. This council determined that all schools and public establishments where Lycans and humans mingled be set as neutral territories so as to maintain the secrecy of the Lycan race."**_

_**-an excerpt from **__**An American Lycan**__** by Arthur Abrams of Lima**_

"_All right, kid…Let me have it." Burt told his son once they were safely at home, and had some privacy. Even Carole and Finn had retired early so it was just the two of them, even if it was for naught. All werewolves had an enhanced sense of hearing and could hear everything in the house, even whispers._

"_You know, I was upset when I was raised to be the next Alpha and then you and Carole got together and suddenly Finn was going to be the next Alpha. I got over that because I understood and really, I'm okay with that decision. I knew I wasn't cut out to be an Alpha and I knew you loved and wanted what was best for both me and the pack. But now… now, you want to marry me off to some… some infuriating hobbit because it's for the good of the pack?" Kurt glared at his father. "How did you expect me to feel about this Dad?"_

"_I know you're upset Kurt, but I was assured several times that the Westerville Pack is quite safe for you and you will be treated well." Burt parroted the answers he'd been given by Will._

"_And that is supposed to make me feel better?" Kurt knew it was a petty answer, but he didn't want to get married to someone he'd met a grand total of two times. A much as he wished it otherwise, Kurt knew Blaine had been right. He knew given whom and more importantly what he was, he would probably not get a lot of choice in who he mated with. He was always hoping for that fairy tale anyway, even if it was a pipe dream. Tonight's announcement had effectively smashed that hope._

"_Kurt…you don't understand. It's for the good of the pack," Burt said. Kurt just shook his head, sighing tiredly._

"_But it's not for the good of me and if you can't understand that, I don't know why we're even having this conversation. I'm going to bed. I do have school tomorrow._

_ZZZZZ_

_School had been awful. He felt like everyone was staring at him, even more that they normally did. He just wanted to go home. He trudged tiredly towards the parking lot, stopping short at the sight that met him. There was Blaine Anderson, leaning against a fancy car wearing the same handsome smirk that Kurt would never admit had haunted his dreams the night before. _

"_What are you doing here? Where are your bodyguards?" Kurt snapped after looking around and not seeing the two boys who had been shadowing Blaine the night before._

"_Where's yours?" Blaine asked with a smug smile. "I'm not the only one who can sneak off and besides, McKinley High School is neutral ground for all of the wolves around here."_

"_Point taken, Anderson. Your dad will probably be mad that you're here, you know." Kurt shifted his bag on his shoulder._

"_Like I said last night, my dad is usually always mad at me for something." Blaine shrugged. He was used to his father's hissy fits._

"_Oh." Kurt really didn't know what to say about that dysfunctional relationship, but it did give him some insight into Blaine. There was clearly more going on in Westerville than he'd previously thought._

"_Why don't we go have coffee at the Lima Bean and talk?" Blaine suggested. The Lima Bean was another neutral location in Lima. "I think we got off to a bad start and I'd like a chance to fix that."_

"_Fine, but you're buying." Kurt huffed and got in the car._

"_Not a problem. I was going to anyway." Blaine ginned, starting the car and heading for the coffee shop that was frequented by a large part of Lima; human and otherwise._

_ZZZZ_

"_Kurt, where have you been?" Burt rushed to the door when he got out of the car._

"_Out. What's the big deal?" Kurt snapped. _

"_The big deal is you're still my son and I worry about you, especially since you decided to go off without Finn or Puck or Santana." Burt gave his son a look that was supposed to be chastising for going out alone._

"_I don't need them watching my back all the time, Dad." Kurt looked put out. "I mean, they do have lives too that don't revolve around me."_

"_Kurt, I know you're not an alpha or a beta, but you still need to be concerned about Sue. She is out there."_

"_I know, Dad. There was nothing to worry about. I was getting coffee with Blaine." Kurt explained, gesturing at Blaine, who was standing awkwardly by the door. Burt turned his attention to the other boy._

"_And where are your guards?" the Alpha asked._

"_I figured we could use some time alone to talk. Besides, I can take care of myself and Kurt, if necessary." Blaine was an Alpha in Training. He had skills…skills that had been honed and practiced for years._

"_That right? You sure about that? Even from Sue? You don't know that woman like I do. You need to be a whole lot more worried about her. The two of you off somewhere without any backup is unacceptable." Burt would never forgive himself if Sue got a hold of either one of the boys._

"_I'm not afraid of Sue." Blaine answered bravely._

"_You really should be. She's vicious and devious and would do anything to destroy our packs. Think with your head next time, kid. If you want to come visit, call and come with your guards next time." Burt said firmly, even if he was secretly pleased that Blaine and Kurt had spent time together._

"_Yes, sir. Kurt, you can always text me if you want to talk." Blaine turned his attention to the boy next to him. Kurt sent Blaine a withering look. _

"_Yeah, like that would happen. I meant what I said, Blaine."_

"_And I'm determined to change your mind and go through with this." Blaine smiled at Kurt._

"_Nothing will change my mind."_

"_We'll see. I can be quite charming, you know." Blaine gave him one of his trademark smiles._

"_Haven't seen it so far." Kurt snorted. _

_Blaine grinned as he walked back to his car. He did love a challenge and Kurt Hummel was definitely that._

_ZZZZZZ_

"_He seems nice." Burt said, trying to start a conversation with his son._

"_Don't Dad. Really, just don't go there." Kurt snapped. "It doesn't matter how handsome and charming he is. I won't be married to him because marriage isn't a business deal."_

"_Kurt, we are doing this to strengthen both our packs against Sue." Burt hoped like hell Kurt would accept this arrangement because it would only make it worse for his only child if he refused to go along with it. He really didn't want to have to drag Kurt kicking and screaming to the mating ceremony._

"_And that means sacrificing your only blood son? The only member of our pack that's a carrier?" Kurt wasn't about to let up on his dad. "Do they know that I'm the only carrier in our pack?"_

"_They do know, yes. The Westerville Pack has no carriers. The Andersons were pleased to know their line will carry on for years to come." Burt answered honestly, hoping Kurt would be receptive to the openness._

"_You've whored out your son. I can't believe this." Kurt literally felt like he'd been sold to the highest bidder, or at least the bidder that offered the most protection. _

"_Kurt, that's not what happened and you know it." Burt wished this could be easier._

"_What would mom say about all of this?" Kurt threw the low blow at his father because he knew it would hurt. "She would be appalled and horrified, and you know it!"_

"_Kurt, please." Burt was so thrown by his son mentioning his mother because he hadn't thought about what his late wife would think of this agreement between the packs._

"_Just leave me alone." Kurt stormed away, unable to stand being around his father right now. The feelings of hurt and betrayal were so overwhelming that he couldn't be in the same room._

_ZZZZZ_

_Burt sighed heavily when Kurt's door slammed shut. He was arranging this 'marriage' because he was trying to protect Kurt. There was obviously no one else in their pack for him to pair off with. The only other compatible werewolf in the state was David Karofsky who was the Alpha in Training for Sue's pack. The only way that match would happen was if it occurred over Burt's dead body. No, this was their best option. He had thought about it for months, ever since Will came to him with the idea. He remembered that conversation like it was yesterday…_

_**Will Schuester watched Kurt as the boy watched the Dalton Warblers perform on stage. He hadn't missed the way Kurt had exchanged flirty glance after flirty glance with their lead singer. He knew Kurt had no idea who the boy was, but Will did… Blaine Anderson, future Alpha of the Westerville Pack. He made a mental note to talk to Burt about the potential there.**_

"_**How was the invitational?" Burt asked when Will dropped into the chair next to him.**_

"_**It was good… in more ways than one," Will answered.**_

"_**Oh?" Burt waited for Will continue. Conversations that started this way never were good.**_

"_**Kurt and a boy were making eyes at each other."**_

"_**Seriously?" Burt knew he'd have to deal with this sooner or later, but he'd been hoping for later.**_

"_**And that boy was the lead for the Dalton Academy Warblers."**_

"_**As in…"**_

"_**Blaine Anderson, future Alpha of the Westerville Pack. Kurt and the boy were eye-flirting with each other. Seems like there's a possible connection there."**_

"_**Hmm."**_

"_**You could possibly set up an arrangement between the two packs, Burt."**_

"_**Kurt's too young for any agreements to be set up, but I will think about it. Thanks for bringing this to me."**_

_He probably would've waited to see what developed between the two boys naturally if his hand hadn't been forced thanks to Sue. Since Henry Anderson had died and Drake had proved to be rather inept, her pack had begun to engage in mild attacks that he knew were designed to test their defenses. Although McKinley was neutral ground and most of Sue's pack was in school there, Burt still worried that Kurt wouldn't come home one day, even with Finn and Puck and Santana and Mike watching out for him. The final straw had been Sue sending emissaries to negotiate for Kurt's mating with Karofsky. Something Burt was determined would never happen, so he'd sent Will to begin negotiations with the Westerville Pack immediately after that._

_ZZZZ_

_Kurt was on his way to a gathering at Will's house to work on set lists for a few upcoming performances. Of course, it would be his day to get stuck in a traffic jam because a semi hauling dog food overturned and had to be cleaned up. When his phone rang, he quickly picked it up._

"_Uncle Will, I'm on my way…" Kurt immediately began to apologize._

"_Kurt, where are you?" Burt's harried voice asked._

"_Stuck in traffic. A truck hauling dog food overturned and they have to clean it up. I know I was supposed to be at Will's forty minutes ago."_

"_Forget that, Kurt. I want you to come home immediately."_

"_What's wrong Dad?" Kurt heard the underlying fear in his father's voice and that was never good._

_Burt hesitated for a moment before answering his son. There really was no good way to explain this. _

"_There was an attack at Will's."_

"_Oh God. Was anyone hurt?" Kurt was immediately worried about his friends that were there._

"_A few minor injuries, but I want you to come home now." _

"_I'll be there as quick as I can." Kurt assured his father. There was no way the attack could have been planned by anyone but Sue and he was sure when he got to the house, there would be a strategy meeting underway. He also knew his dad would be putting guards on him for the foreseeable future._

_ZZZZZ_

"_What the hell happened?" Kurt demanded as he rushed in the front door._

_Burt hugged his son close and pulled him into the living room. Kurt was not at all shocked to see Finn and all of his father's betas already strategizing. He was, however, shocked to see Blaine and several boys in navy blazers with red piping sitting with them discussing the attack. Even more surprisingly, Drake Anderson and Lane Hughes were nowhere to be seen. Apparently Blaine was in 'charge' of the pack today._

"_Again, what happened?" Kurt repeated his question once more once he'd regained his composure. He wanted some answers._

"_Sue sent her favorite guard dogs to attack Will's house." Burt answered. "No one was seriously hurt thanks to Blaine and his betas being nearby, but they were clearly looking for something when not one of them went after Finn. As the Alpha in Training, he's our pack's most valuable asset."_

"_She sent them for me, didn't she?" Kurt questioned. "She was willing to hurt or kill someone just to get to me."_

"_We don't know that." Burt tried to reassure him._

"_But you believe it, don't you?" Kurt asked his eyes wide and fearful._

"_Yes." Blaine answered, refusing to lie to his potential mate. Kurt deserved to know the truth._

"_You've known this was coming?" Kurt said. "It's the blue eyes, right? She wants me because I'm a carrier."_

"_We think so." Will carefully said. It was on everyone's mind that, to outsiders and some within the pack as well, Kurt was a negotiable interest for them. He'd thought Burt was going to attack Sam when the young wolf had suggested it would be a good idea to 'sell' Kurt to the highest bidder._

"_So what do we do?" Kurt asked._

"_We've already taken the first steps to protect you by promising you to Blaine. Our next step is to keep you as far away from Sue as possible, which is why, from now on, you don't go anywhere alone for any reason." Burt said. "Not even out to get the mail. Sue wants you and is clearly not above doing anything to get you."_

"_So not only has my right to choose my own mate been taken, I'm losing my freedom as well? " Kurt bitterly looked at his father._

"_Kurt…" Burt said tiredly._

"_Don't Dad. Just don't. Nothing you can say will make this any better. "_

_Kurt stormed off to the attic study. He didn't want to be on display any longer; the suggestive looks were getting to him. It was humiliating to be seen like that…to be made to feel like he was nothing more than a brood mare, even by people he'd known his whole life._

"_May I?" Blaine asked nodding his head toward the direction in which Kurt had stormed off._

"_Go ahead. Just don't be surprised if you get nowhere with him." Burt said, secretly hoping Blaine might be able to calm down his son._

_Attic Study…_

"_I came up here because I wanted to be alone." Kurt sneered as soon as he caught Blaine's scent and felt his presence in the room._

"_I'm sorry you have to go through this." Blaine said. "I know this is a lot for you to take in, Kurt, but try to remember everyone is just concerned about you."_

"_You really don't get it, Anderson. They aren't worried about me. They're worried about how losing me will affect the pack because I've got the blue eyes and am the carrier," Kurt spat bitterly. "You don't know what it's like to be looked at differently. No one can see me beyond my unique...ability."_

"_Come on Kurt, you don't really believe that do you? I'm an outsider and even I can see how they all really care about you. They are concerned about the effect on the pack, but…" Blaine acknowledged. "…they truly care about you as well. Your father was beside himself with worry. My father would never worry about me like that. Yours just wants you to be safe."_

"_I know he does." Kurt conceded. "But I don't want round the clock guards. I want to be able to go places on my own." Kurt knew he sounded petulant, but he wanted to be treated like he was normal. "I am still a person with rights and I can still make my own decisions. I'll go crazy if they keep me caged up like they want to."_

"_Yes, you have rights, but being alone isn't safe. You could get hurt or worse. None of us is going to let that happen, so you just have to accept the reality, Kurt. It's only for a short time, once our mating is official, you'll be safe."_

"_But I still won't be free. I'm either the breeder for your pack or hers." Kurt sneered. "You'll use me until you have your heir and then pass me off to everyone else."_

"_That's not how our pack operates. That's not how I operate. I know there's not a whole lot of information shared between packs, but I can assure you as my mate, the only one who's breeding with you is me." Blaine explained._

"_Yeah, right. Do you think I'm that naïve? I've overheard others talking about me. All it takes is one offer and I'm in someone else's bed." Kurt said._

"_I don't know who's offered in the past, but as my mate, I'm the only one who gets to touch you." Blaine was a little surprised at the quick burst of anger which arose in him at the thought of someone else with Kurt._

"_I'll believe it when I see it." Kurt scoffed. He suddenly found himself pulled tightly to Blaine._

"_When are you going to get it through your head? You're mine and only mine. Anyone else so much as sniffs at you and I will tear them apart," Blaine glowered. He wasn't sure who was more shocked by his sudden possessiveness… him or Kurt._

"_It doesn't matter, Blaine. I've known what my fate was for a long time." Kurt was resigned to not have any freedoms anymore, because of his blue eyes. It had become more of a problem since hitting puberty and his teen years._

"_Wrong, Kurt. It sure as hell matters." Blaine growled. "Were you not listening? You… are… mine!"_

"_Fuck you, Anderson. " Kurt angrily said. "And I've told you before don't get all Alpha on me. Remember I was almost an Alpha? I know all of the tricks."_

"_Not all of them, Kurt." Blaine snapped before roughly kissing him. Kurt resisted for all of two seconds before giving in to the pleasure of Blaine's lips on his. He was left reeling when Blaine pulled away and headed to the door._

"_I'll see you tomorrow, Kurt. I know where to find you," he said shutting the door behind him. With a frustrated growl, Kurt grabbed a jar of moisturizer off his dresser hurtling it against the door, not knowing that Blaine was leaning against the other side, his eyes wide with shock, a trembling hand held to his lips where he could still taste Kurt._


	5. Building Relationships

"_**Lycans, like wolves, mate for life, although a second mating may occur in the event of the death of one's mate. Once **__**fully**__** bonded, mates can sense each other's emotions and some couples have even claimed to be able to feel their mate's pain. . Mated couples are fiercely protective of each other from the time courtship begins throughout the duration of the relationship and will not hesitate to protect each other, fighting to the death if necessary."**_

_**-an excerpt from **__**Lycans: Life, Love, and Mythos**__** by Arthur Abrams of Lima**_

_Lima Mall…_

_Kurt had been allowed to come to the mall because everyone was going and Burt figured if his son spent some time with friends, he'd be happier and less moody. Kurt had been thrilled at the opportunity to get out, especially when one of his favorite activities were involved. _

_They were just finishing up, heavily laden down with bags. He was laughing at something Brittany had said when he felt a cold prickle on the back of his neck and caught a whiff of a scent that always meant danger to Kurt. Before he could shout out a warning however, they found themselves cornered in the parking garage by members of Sue's pack._

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the hulking form of David Karofsky sneered._

"_Karofsky, I didn't think Sue let her dogs off their leashes." Puck challenged. He had always hated Karofsky, even before he started causing problems for Kurt._

"_Big man with words, Puckerman. Too bad words won't help you now." _

"_What do you want?" Finn asked, maintaining his calm. There had to be a reason for Sue sending her pack's thugs to accost them in a parking garage at the mall of all places._

"_A lot of things, Hudson." Karofsky said. "But right now? I'll settle for that delectable specimen right there."_

"_No way in hell, Karofsky. You're a pig," Kurt said fighting every instinct he had to not avert his eyes and bow his head into a submissive position. As much as the thought of Karofsky touching him made his skin crawl, the boy was an Alpha and Kurt's inner wolf was very much a submissive one. It was part and parcel of the whole carrier package._

"_So feisty," Karofsky laughed, even though Kurt was feeling anything but. "I'll enjoy breaking you. The things I will do to you when I get you will have you screaming all night long and not necessarily in pleasure. I'm going to be your Alpha very soon baby and I will make you submit to me." _

"_Leave him alone you creep!" Rachel shouted in disgust._

"_Better shut up your whore, Hudson before I do it." Karofsky sneered. "You really should get this while you still have a choice, Hummel. I mean, I'm willing to take you off your pack's hands whether they want me to or not."_

"_I'll see you in hell first, asshole." Finn snarled stepping protectively in front of both Kurt and Rachel, the slight sharpening of his canines stating even more loudly than words just how much Karofsky had angered him._

"_Like you could stop me, Finn. He's going to be mine… soon. I'm offering you the chance to come willingly or be forced, Kurt. Doesn't matter to me because I will have you and I will make you willing to do anything I want you to do. You need to be taught how to properly submit. Since Daddy missed that lesson, I guess I'll get to teach you."_

"_You're a sick bastard." Tina yelled._

"_Shut up bitch or I will take pleasure in tearing you apart." Karofsky ignored Mike's low growl of anger and turned his attention back to Kurt. _

"_So are you coming with me willingly or do I have to go through your whole pitiful pack and take you?"_

_Blaine had not been pleased when he had gone to visit Kurt and been informed that Burt had allowed him to go to the mall with his friends. What the hell was the man thinking? Was he completely unaware of the fact that some packs had no problem taking their mates by force? He would not lose Kurt. Aside from the fact that he needed him if he had a shot of helping his pack, Blaine had a sneaking suspicion that he was starting to develop some very real feelings for the blue eyed young man. After excusing himself as politely as he was able to, he and his friends had immediately left the Hummel residence and gone in search of Kurt and the others. Blaine was just giving up and deciding that they had somehow missed Kurt and his friends when they heard the loud, angry words. With a low muttered oath, Blaine went to investigate, his friends close behind. He had no idea what was happening, but he had a very bad feeling that Kurt was somehow involved. If he was, there would be hell to pay for anyone who was bothering his almost mate, regardless of the fact that technically he held no authority in Lima and would be breaking several treaties by fighting there. The smell that met Blaine, once they got close enough for him to catch it, had him growling in displeasure._

"_Damn it. That's Kurt and he's terrified. I can smell his fear from here," Blaine growled._

"_Blaine, calm down." Wes said sensing Blaine's rising anger._

"_Ten to one Sue's mongrels have something to do with this. If they touch Kurt and I'm going to end them, regardless of where we are," Blaine snarled. Shocked at the strength of Blaine's reaction, Wes carefully reached out and put a calming hand on his alpha's arm._

"_Let's not kill anyone here. It's not our territory, and I don't think Hummel would take well to you infringing on his lands. Besides putting the fear of God into them and letting them live is better. They'll know you mean business and hopefully spread the word," he suggested. Blaine ignored him and picked up his pace to reach Kurt more quickly._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" Blaine growled, coming upon the scene. He was grateful to note that Finn and the others had pushed Kurt to the middle and formed a circle around him._

"_I don't know who the hell you are, but I suggest that you leave," the hulking figure advancing on Kurt and the others sneered. "This doesn't concern you in the least."_

"_Oh, excuse me, we haven't been properly introduced. I assume from the fact that you look like you've overdosed on steroids and appear to be about as intelligent as your average rock that you're David Karofsky. I'm Blaine Anderson and you have about three seconds to get the hell away from my mate," Blaine growled stepping forward menacingly._

"_Mate?" Karofsky blanched. "Since when?"_

"_Since last week, now back the fuck off, Karofsky." Blaine snarled, feeling the wolf inside of him aching to get out and tear this disgusting creature into little bitty pieces. Karofsky, it seemed was willing to oblige him. _

"_If that's true, why doesn't Hummel have your smell on him? Aren't man enough to take him?" Karofsky sneered. He'd heard that the Anderson Alpha in Training was a dangerous and often lethal opponent, but the guy standing in front of him was a pip-squeak. David was certain he couldn't be any real threat to him._

"_Our pack actually has rules and traditions, unlike you bunch of mongrels," Wes said. "Blaine and Kurt are waiting until it is proper to mate with each other." _

"_Either way, he's been claimed and not by you," David added._

"_I'm not a patient man Dave," Blaine said. "I'm only telling you once more, get away from him and stay away from him." Karofsky eyed the hostile faces around him and took a step back, knowing he was outnumbered. _

"_I'll leave, for now, but I'll be back. Kurt, I will be seeing you." Karofsky muttered as he and his pack mates slunk off into the shadows._

"_You didn't have to do that." Kurt was still shaking. Karofsky had gotten way too close this time._

"_Kurt, I don't want to see you hurt. Even if we don't work out, I will never let Karofsky do any of those things he said he'd do." Blaine desperately wanted to kiss Kurt again, but held back._

"_You heard?" Kurt was mortified._

"_I did, but you don't have to worry. I don't think he'll be bothering you again," Blaine comforted, reaching out and taking the other boy's shaking hands in his._

"_Yeah dude, you put the fear of God into him," Puck interjected._

"_You didn't need to do that. We had things under control," Finn added a touch resentfully._

"_Finn's right. You didn't have to do that, but thank you anyway," Kurt said blushing and averting his eyes as he desperately tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach when Blaine turned those golden brown eyes on him._

"_You don't need to thank me for protecting you. It's my duty to keep you safe, Kurt… that includes protecting you from someone else's overgrown bullies doing their dirty work," Blaine responded gently lifting up Kurt's chin to look in his eyes._

"_Your duty? Is that all I am to you?" Kurt questioned._

"_No, Kurt. You've already come to mean a lot more to me than that. Do you want me to take you home?" Blaine asked._

"_Yes, please." Kurt said, blushing. "Maybe we can grab some coffee on the way?"_

"_I'd like that," Blaine smiled, placing his hand on the small of Kurt's back and guiding him towards his car._

_ZZZZ_

_Kurt made sure to slam the car door with more force than necessary because he was angry with Blaine. Their stop for coffee had quickly turned sour._

"_Maybe you'd rather be with that Neanderthal." Blaine yelled at Kurt._

"_How dare you even suggest that to your potential mate?" Kurt glared._

"_Oh, you're seeing reason about mating with me then." Blaine perked up a bit when he heard Kurt's words. Kurt shook his head and tried to back pedal._

"_No fair. You tricked me into saying that."_

"_I did nothing of the sort. You called me your potential mate and your Dad heard every word." Blaine nodded to where Burt was standing on the porch._

"_Dad?" Kurt looked at his dad._

"_Sorry, kiddo. I have to agree with Blaine on this one." Burt shook his head. He was almost sure the two boys were either going to kill each other or start making out. Kurt turned on his heel and stormed into the house in true diva fashion. Burt laughed as Blaine determinedly followed him. _

"_Go get him, kid. This is what he does when he gets mad about something, so you'd better get used to dealing with these little fits."_

"_Kurt! Kurt, get back here! You can't just storm off when you don't get your way. We need to be civilized and talk things out," Blaine shouted, following Kurt down the steps into the basement._

"_I can storm out when I want. You don't rule me." _

"_Not yet," Blaine murmured. Kurt spun on his heel, glaring at the other boy._

"_What did you say?"_

"_You heard me Kurt," Blaine said grinning unrepentantly. "And you know it's true, no matter how much you try to deny it."_

"_You arrogant, egotistical… alpha!" Kurt hissed spitting out the word alpha as if it were a curse._

"_Guilty as charged," Blaine happily agreed, flopping down on Kurt's queen sized bed. "So… this is your room... I like it. Silk sheets? Nice. I've always wanted silk sheets. Father felt they were a luxury that shouldn't be wasted on me. When we're mated we'll have to make sure you bring these with you." _

"_I… you…" Kurt sputtered for a moment before gaining control of his temper and growling, "I will NOT be mating with you Blaine Anderson! Now get the hell out of my room and off of my bed."_

"_Why? You know I'll end up here eventually." Blaine grinned._

"_Has anyone ever told you you're annoying?"_

"_Just Wes and David. I think everyone else is too afraid, but this is a great step toward honesty in our relationship Kurt."_

"_Are you sure you're not related to Karofsky, because you sound just like him right now." Kurt said because he knew it would push Blaine's buttons._

"_The only way that I am even remotely like that cretin is that I have no problems acting on my words and desires, Kurt… especially where you are concerned. Since you're going to be my mate, however, there's nothing against doing so."_

"_I am not going to be your mate!" Kurt screeched._

"_Yes… you are," Blaine said rising and taking a step towards Kurt._

"_Shut up."_

"_Make me," Blaine taunted. Kurt got up in Blaine's face._

"_Shut your filthy mouth right now." _

"_You could shut it for me, Kurt." Blaine said. His eyes flashing, Kurt drew back his hand to smack that smirk off Blaine's handsome face. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself flipped on his back on the bed with Blaine hovering over him._

"_You can protest all you want Kurt, but we will be together. Your body knows it even if you don't. I can smell how much you want me," Blaine purred seductively sniffing at Kurt's neck which he instinctively bared for Blaine. "Vanilla and a hint of lavender... Your scent is absolutely intoxicating. Did you know that? It drives me almost as crazy as your feisty attitude does. You're like a fascinating novel to me Kurt. I'm going to read you from cover to cover and learn everything that makes you tick. Starting with what your secret desires are."_

"_You need to get your nose checked. I don't want you." Kurt murmured his voice barely a whisper as he half-heartedly shoved at Blaine, who was using his weight to keep Kurt on his back._

"_Liar," Blaine breathed his lips less than a centimeter from Kurt's._

"_I don't" Kurt said even as he began to close the distance between him and Blaine._

"_Mhmm," Blaine responded, leaning in and capturing Kurt's lips with his own. Kurt, unable to help himself, moaned breathlessly into the kiss. Blaine deepened the kiss for a moment before pulling away. "You taste even more amazing than you smell."_

"_Are you going to kiss me like that every time I don't listen to you?" Kurt asked, refusing to acknowledge just how much he had liked the feel of Blaine's lips on his._

"_Possibly," Blaine smirked, before his face sobered. "Seriously though Kurt, I just want you to listen to those around you. We care about your safety. I know it's a priority for your dad and believe it or not, it is for me too. So will you please not go anywhere without others with you?" Kurt sighed, rolling his eyes._

"_Fine…If it will get you to stop kissing me every time I disagree with you, I will promise not to go anywhere without someone else."_

"_Thank you." Blaine smiled, rolling off of him and moving towards the door. "Oh, and Kurt, nothing is going to make me stop kissing you. You taste too damn good."_

_Blaine winked at him before shutting the door just in time to avoid the book Kurt hurled at him._


	6. A Future Alpha's RageChapter 5

"Once they reach suitable emotional and physical maturity, Lycans, unlike werewolves, can shift between their human and lupine forms at will and are not subject to the vagaries of the full moon. This control, which is unique amongst the shape shifting races does have its limits, however. In states of extreme emotional distress, such as fear or rage, involuntary shifts do occur and cannot be resolved until the emotion subsides."

-an excerpt from Lycans: Life, Love, and Mythos by Arthur Abrams of Lima

"Mr. Hummel, I was thinking perhaps Kurt would be safer at Dalton until Sue's Pack and Karofsky can be dealt with." Blaine said, voicing the idea. He had been considering it for the last few days… ever since the Karofsky incident at the mall.

"I have to say that I've been thinking the same thing." Burt admitted.

"What?" Kurt flew into the room, enraged.

"Kurt." Blaine said. "I was just approaching your Dad with an idea. I can keep my eyes on you and Karofsky won't dare to come to Dalton."

"I am not leaving McKinley." Kurt put his hands on his hips and looked between his Dad and Blaine. "I only have one more year left and I want to spend it with my friends. Besides, if we actually go through with this arranged mating thing, I will be moving to Westerville. I would prefer to spend this time left with the people I care about, not complete strangers. I am not going to Dalton and you can't make me."

Blaine sighed. "Kurt, haven't we had this discussion before? You know, I can…"

"Don't you even think about doing that again, Anderson."

"Boys." Burt just shook his head. "No decisions are made yet, but Karofsky goes to McKinley, Kurt. There's reason to be worried."

"He's not going to bother me, Dad. Besides, I have Finn, Puck, and Santana there."

"Still doesn't make me feel any better, kiddo."

ZZZZZ

"Hey Artie." Kurt sat down.

"Hey man. How's your arrangement going?"

"Blaine's nice, I suppose, but marrying someone I don't know is unsettling." Kurt had no problem sharing his feelings with Artie. The other boy had never said anything about his blue eyes and because Artie was just as underestimated as Kurt due to the injuries he had sustained in the attack which had killed Kurt's mom and Finn's dad all those years ago. He was one of Kurt's closest friends and one of the few people he really trusted.

"He's better than Karofsky." Artie pointed out, wheeling his chair closer to Kurt.

"Anyone is better than him."

"True that," Artie agreed. "That's not what I wanted to discuss with you though, at least not directly. I guess it kind of indirectly is…"

"What's that?" Kurt interrupted indicating the thick ancient looking leather bound book which Artie had pulled from his school bag as he was talking.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been doing some research on the blue eye phenomenon in werewolves," Artie replied.

"Artie…"

"I need something to do in my free time. Besides, it makes me feel useful to the pack." Artie answered.

"Thank you. So what did you find out?" Kurt asked, curious.

"Has anyone ever explained the importance of the blue eyes to you?" Artie asked.

"I mean, I know I am a carrier and only blue eyed males can be carriers." Kurt said. "We've never really talked about anything past the carrier part of it." Artie could only hope he wasn't overstepping his duties as Pack Historian, but Kurt obviously needed to know.

"That's accurate, but not really what I asked you. While the fact that you can carry offspring is what makes you a carrier, it's the fact that any child you have will be faster, stronger… better that the average wolf that makes carriers so coveted. That's why finding you a proper mate is important. If you breed with the wrong wolf that could spell disaster for all our packs." Artie said.

"You know my dad would never allow Sue's pack to touch me." Kurt said.

"But that's not going to stop her from trying. Ever since she found out about you, there's always been little issues. Sue wants you in her pack because of her history with your dad but she also wants the children you'd provide to strengthen her pack."

"What history with my dad?" Kurt asked, ignoring Artie's comments about all the little incidents over the years because of his blue eyes.

"You know she was interested in your dad, but your dad only had eyes for your mom. That's what drove her pack to be so vicious when your parents got married. It's revenge. If she gets you, she'll have a bargaining chip over the Lima Pack for years." Artie explained. "All she has to do is threaten your safety or well-being and the Lima Pack will back down because it's you."

"My Dad and Sue? Yuck. I can't even imagine." Kurt shook his head.

"Well, if it isn't my beloved and the cripple." Karofsky taunted. "Beat it, cripple. I want to talk to Kurt privately."

"I don't want to talk to you. I'm taken and Blaine will not hesitate to enforce his claim so you might want to be the one leaving," Kurt said boldly, trying not to let his fear show

"God, Hummel. I'm going to enjoy beating and fucking that spirit and spunk out of you."

"Artie, go get Finn and Puck." Kurt said to his friend. "Go get them now please so they can come kick his useless ass."

"Kurt…"

"Do it, Artie." Kurt ordered and watched as his friend wheeled down the hall, leaving him alone with Karofsky.

"Alone at last. That was quite obliging of you baby," David purred. Kurt swallowed and took a step back as Karofsky advanced on him with a smirk.

ZZZZZ

Blaine saw Kurt stumble out of the school, his immaculate clothes disheveled and tears on his cheeks and he was at his future mate's side in a moment. He threw an arm around Kurt and pulled him close to his side, growling deep and menacingly as he caught a whiff of another lycan all over his intended.

"What happened? Why do you smell like Karofsky?" Blaine asked, the scent disturbing his nose's sensitivities. "What did he do?"

"He…" Kurt stuttered unable to continue through the tears and Blaine assumed the worst.

"First, I'm going to get that smell off you," Blaine said through clenched teeth as he took off his blazer and wrapped it around Kurt, effectively cloaking the other boy in his scent. "Then I will take great pleasure in ripping him from stupid muscled limb to stupid muscled limb."

"No Blaine, he's bigger than you. You'll get hurt," Kurt begged, fear in his eyes. Had Blaine not been so angry, he would have been thrilled at this sign of Kurt's concern for him.__

"You don't need to worry about that, Kurt. Now get in the car." Blaine was shocked when Kurt actually obeyed his order. A true sign of just how upset he was. He reached for his phone because he wouldn't leave Kurt alone in this state. "Wes, I know you're around. I need you and the guys to get here, NOW!" Wes, David, and about seven other werewolves from the Westerville Pack were suddenly next to the car.

"What's wrong, Blaine?"

"That mutt Karofsky went after Kurt again." Blaine growled. "I'm going to take him out now."

"Blaine, don't do anything stupid." Wes said, sensing Blaine was becoming his wolf, if the yellowing eyes, deep growling voice, and rapidly sharpening teeth didn't already give it away.

"Make sure he stays in the car. Don't let him out for anyone, except for me or his dad. No one, do you understand?" Blaine growled, ignoring his beta's attempts to calm him.

"Yes, sir. We understand." David replied instantly, obeying the one he already considered his Alpha.

Blaine stalked into McKinley High School where he encountered Will Schuester almost immediately. Finn Hudson was just a few steps behind him.

"Blaine, what are you doing here?" Will was surprised to see the ferocious look on the boy's face.

"I've come to rip Karofsky to shreds…literally." Blaine glowered. "He's bothered Kurt for the last time. Now get the hell out of my way, beta."

"Cool off, Anderson," Finn ordered.

"Don't tell me what to do, Hudson. Kurt is my responsibility," Blaine snarled flashing a glimpse of sharply pointed canines.

"Not yet, he's isn't. Besides, you know McKinley is neutral ground. You can't dispatch of him here." Finn said, thankful that Puck, Mike, and Santana had shown up behind him. They could restrain Blaine if need be. "You need to settle down now. Burt will kill you if you do something stupid. What happened?"

"Shouldn't you know? Weren't you supposed to be keeping watch over him?" Blaine accused, barely able to stop himself from transforming into his wolf and destroying every inch of Karofsky and anyone else who got in his way.

"He was with Artie. I mean, I thought he would be okay while I talked to Rachel." Finn guiltily said.

"What did Karofsky do? Where's Kurt?" Puck demanded.

"He's in my car, shaking with fear because of that scum. I left my pack watching over him." Blaine growled. "Now…Where the hell is Karofsky!"

"Slow your roll hobbit" Santana interjected. "Wanna tell us what the hell happened before you decided to storm into neutral territory and start World War Sue?" Santana asked.

"Kurt stumbled out the front door with tears streaming down his face and Karofsky's scent all over him," Blaine snapped.

"Are you saying…" Puck looked horrified.

"I don't know yet, but if it has gone that far, Karofsky is mine, neutral territory be damned. At the very best, he has obviously made this school unsafe for Kurt." Blaine said. "I don't want him coming back here with people who are unable to properly watch over him. We may have to try different options."

ZZZZZ

Blaine had never been so relived in all his life when he pulled into the Hummel's driveway and almost carried Kurt into the house.

"What's wrong?" Burt met them at the door.

"Let me get him settled first and then I'll come upstairs and explain everything," Blaine said as he guided Kurt to his basement bedroom.

"Thank you." Kurt whispered as Blaine helped him to the bed and then went to the dresser and found his most comfortable pajamas. Kurt was quite impressed with Blaine's ability to know exactly what he wanted and needed.

"Why don't you change into your pajamas while I go upstairs and talk to your Dad?" Blaine suggested.

"Do you have to go?" Kurt whispered. Blaine made him feel safe and protected something he desperately needed at the moment.

"I'm not leaving, Kurt. If you need anything, just call for me and I will be back in a flash. I promise you that."

ZZZZZ

"Sit your butt down and explain why you brought my kid home looking like he'd been hit by a truck." Burt ordered Blaine, who wisely took a seat across from Burt.

"It all began when I went to McKinley to wait for Kurt." Blaine looked away. "I wanted to take him out for coffee and talk."

"What the hell does that have to do with him looking so wrecked?" Burt thundered.

"Mr. Hummel, Kurt came stumbling out of the school looking like that. I got close to him and he had the smell of Karofsky all over him. Once he was in my car and my pack members were there to watch him, I stormed back into the school with every intention of shredding Karofsky into a million tiny pieces right there."

"What did you do to Karofsky?" Burt asked worriedly. "You know that's neutral ground."

"Thankfully, Finn reminded me of that and also that you'd have my head if I did anything stupid."

"What do you think Karofsky did to him?"

"I don't know. Kurt really hasn't told me everything yet, but I will get it out of him and Karofsky is a dead man for touching what's mine."

"What's yours?" Burt couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the kid in front of him. Blaine blushed and remembered he was talking to Kurt's father. Nevertheless, he bravely lifted his chin and looked Burt in the eyes. It was a dangerous thing to do when dealing with an Alpha, but Blaine wanted Burt to know that he would not be intimidated.

"You see, Mr. Hummel, I already consider myself bonded to Kurt and I don't like to see him hurt or upset. So yeah, I do consider him mine and it's my job to make sure wolves like Karofsky don't get anywhere near him."

"Good answer, kid." Burt said. "Why don't you phone your father and let him know that you'll be staying for dinner."

"I'm making soup." Carole added as she entered the room from the kitchen. "The other kids just filled me in on what happened. Should I make a tray for Kurt or will he be joining us for dinner too?"

"I'll go get him. He needed to be alone for a little while, but he really should eat." Blaine stood and made his way downstairs.

"Blaine, you're still here?" Kurt was surprised.

"I promised I wasn't leaving and I didn't. Carole made soup for dinner. Please come upstairs and eat with us."

"You're staying for dinner too?"

"I'm not going anywhere until you are ready for me to," Blaine reiterated.

"Okay. Let's go eat dinner then," Kurt said giving Blaine a tentative smile when he took Kurt's hand and led him up the stairs.

ZZZZ

Dinner would have been a completely silent affair if it weren't for Blaine. The young man was effortlessly charming and soon had all of the girls, even Carole giggling at his stories of some of Wes and David's antics. The boys were exchanging nervous guilty glances with each other, knowing that they were due for some harsh words from their Alpha. Burt tried to ignore the tension around the table, but eventually gave up and decided to get it all out of the way at once. Clearing his throat, he sat his fork down beside his plate.

"Kurt, I know today was horrible and because of that, I've made a decision. You are not returning to McKinley for any reason. You are going to be home schooled from now on."

"Home schooling?" Kurt screeched. "Are you out of your mind?"

"You are not going back to that school, Kurt. I don't care if it's supposed to be neutral ground. You aren't safe there."

"Do I even get a say in this?" Kurt asked. "Or is this already decided for me?"

"Kurt…"

"No, you've already taken my choices away and now you're doing this? How am I supposed to feel when you're making me a prisoner in my own home?" Burt was shocked his son felt like he was a prisoner.

"Kurt, we have your best interests in mind. Now, you will be home schooled until the Winter Solstice and you and Blaine are joined. Then you will finish out the school year in Westerville at Dalton."

"I hate you." Kurt stormed out of the kitchen and Burt winced when he heard the bedroom door slam shut and the lock snick into place.

"That went well." Burt looked at Carole.

"Honey, he didn't mean that." Carole soothed her husband. "He's angry and scared and hurt, but he's still a teenager and they do these things. He'll calm down and realize it's for the best."

'I hope so or it's going to be a long few months around here." After it was clear that Kurt wouldn't be coming back downstairs, Burt looked at Blaine.

"Why don't you guys head home? It's late and you do have school tomorrow."__

"How do you plan to keep him from leaving the house?" Blaine asked. "Kurt can be very determined when he wants to be." Burt chuckled.

"Preaching to the choir Anderson. Don't worry though. If I have to transform into my wolf and barricade the front door, I will. That boy is not leaving this house for any reason."

"We will head out, Mr. Hummel, but I'll be over after school tomorrow to check on Kurt." Blaine said.

Outside the house…

"Wes, David. You're staying here tonight." Blaine ordered. "No one is allowed in that house unless it's Burt, Carole, or Finn."

"Are you sure you want to…"

"Yes, Kurt is going to be my mate and one of my responsibilities to him is to keep him safe and that's what I'm doing. If you even sense Karofsky around, take him out."

"All right."

"Do not let Kurt leave the house either. I don't care what you have to do, but he doesn't leave for any reason. If he attempts to leave, you call me immediately and I'll deal with him."

"We got it, Blaine. Kurt will be okay." Wes swore to his Alpha. He would do everything in his power to protect this boy in whom his best friend had finally found some happiness.


	7. An Alpha's ResponsibilitiesChapter 6

**_"The most important and central figure in Lycan life and culture is the pack Alpha. Although in most cases the title of Alpha is an hereditary one, if the born heir is determined to be unfit in some manner then the reigning Alpha may select a replacement. Alphas are always, without exception dominant wolves. Their word to their pack is law and is not questioned, however, if an Alpha's judgements or actions are determined to be a detriment to the pack, a challenge by an Alpha in Training or Beta may be issued to remove the errant Alpha from power. This is a very serious undertaking, however, and is used only in the most extreme cases."_**

**_-an excerpt from The Politics of the Wolf by Arthur Abrams of Lima_**

_"What are you doing here?" Kurt snapped at Blaine when he showed up after school to see him. The Alpha in Training was quite pleased to see the boy back to his usual snippy self._

_"Your Dad called and said the prisoner might like some visitors, besides I think he and Carole were going out for dinner." Blaine answered._

_"Oh, so you're the warden for the night." Kurt wasn't in a good mood._

_"Kurt, we are doing this because you're too wonderful for Karofsky to ever get another chance to get at you."_

_"Still doesn't make this any less of a prison, Blaine." Kurt said. "Can I order Chinese or is that not allowed while I've serving my sentence?"_

_"You can place an order through me and one of my guys will go pick it up. We can't allow a delivery person here because they could be working for Karofsky."_

_"Seriously? We live in Lima, not a big spying mecca, Blaine."_

_"Can't hurt to be too careful, Kurt."_

_"Whatever. Order me the veggie special and call me when it gets here. I'll be in my room."_

_"I think your Dad called me so we could spend some time together, Kurt. That can't happen if you're locked in your room."_

_"Get used to it, Anderson." Kurt stomped down the stairs to his bedroom and went to slam the door when Blaine caught it easily and forced it back open. "Go away, Blaine."_

_"Now, now, Kurt. We're going to be mated and storming off and slamming doors isn't acceptable."_

_"I really don't care what you think is acceptable, Blaine. This is still my house and I can storm off and slam doors when I want to." Blaine just sighed. Kurt had been warming up to him and then Karofsky had ruined that._

_"Don't make me resort to using my special Alpha tactics on you again, Kurt." Blaine smirked._

_"They won't work on me this time, Blaine." Kurt challenged back._

_"I think they will, either way, I'll enjoy trying." He chuckled when Kurt slammed the door in his face and went to order dinner._

_ZZZZZ_

_"Kurt, we're in this together." Blaine appealed to Kurt once they'd both had their fill of the Chinese food. "I can't help you deal with Karofsky if you don't let me. Please, tell me what he did to you, so I can help get through this." He pulled Kurt onto his lap, trying to comfort him with his presence._

_"You would just freak out, Blaine, so no; I don't want to tell you what happened at school." Kurt tried to wriggle out of Blaine's arms, but the Alpha was stronger than him and he was unable to break free._

_"Look." Blaine said, doing his best to maintain his temper. "I'm not even going to try to tell you that I won't freak out. We both know that would be a lie, but Kurt, I care about what happens to you. I don't want to see you hurt. Please just tell me what happened. I promise, as mad as I get, I won't do anything stupid." Kurt quietly studied Blaine for a moment before speaking._

_"I was talking to Artie. He's our Historian. He's been doing research on Lycans with eyes like mine. Karofsky came up and started hassling us. He's…he scares me a little, but I know better than to let that show. He said some really vile things and I let my temper get the best of me and told him what a Neanderthal he was. I ordered Artie to go find Finn and I sort of lost it and shoved him." Kurt admitted._

_"What! Kurt, do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Karofsky is three times your size. He's an Alpha in Training! This is why people worry about you and make decisions for you…you do things without thinking them through."_

_"Everyone always does this." Kurt hissed. "No one in either pack thinks I can handle myself. I am not a defenseless puppy who needs to be coddled."_

_"I never said you were, Kurt. I know in most circumstances you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, but…" Blaine placated._

_"If that were true, I'd be able to go back to school like everyone else. I wouldn't have to be guarded every moment of the day." Kurt said. "I was almost the Alpha of this pack. I think I can handle myself. I'm just as strong as the rest of you."_

_"I don't doubt your strength. In some ways, you're the strongest person I know. You're also probably the most caring, which is why you could never be an Alpha. To be the Alpha, you have to have a certain ruthlessness when it comes to deciding about things. You just don't have that killer instinct in you. It's one of the reasons I'm so determined to make you mine."_

_"I…Blaine, you know…" Kurt stuttered, completely thrown by Blaine's words._

_"I know, Kurt. You don't want this, but I'm not giving up. I need you and so does my pack." Blaine said earnestly._

_"Blaine…" Kurt tried again, unsure what to say._

_"It's okay. I'll drop it for now, but just know that this doesn't mean this is the end." Blaine said, clearly changing the subject. "So, what happened after you shoved Karofsky? How did his stench get all over you like that?" Kurt shut his eyes, shuddering at the memories flooding his brain._

_"He was enraged that I had dared to push him, an Alpha in Training. He grabbed me and pinned me up against the lockers. God…he was…terrifying. I thought he was going to hit me. Then…" He trailed off, looking at Blaine uncertainly._

_"What did he do, Kurt?" Blaine asked as calmly as he was able. He sensed whatever Kurt said next was going to send him off the deep end. He mentally practiced every relaxing technique he could think of._

_"He kissed me…my mouth…my throat…he was everywhere. I reacted instinctively. I kneed him in the groin and I ran to the parking lot." Kurt said his voice barely a whisper even if they were the only two people in the house. White hot rage slashed through Blaine at Kurt's words. He had never come closer to an involuntarily change in his whole life. He forced his voice to remain level._

_"Thank you for telling me, Kurt." Blaine began placing gentle kisses on each of the spots Karofsky had touched. It warmed his heart as he watched Kurt fade off into sleep in his arms for the first time._

_He had almost drifted off to sleep himself when he heard the front door open and the unmistakable sounds of the Lima Pack upstairs. After tucking the blankets around Kurt, he rose and shut the door carefully behind him. People were going to pay for what had happened, starting with those who had failed to protect his mate. Things were going to change right now. There might be a few months until the Winter Solstice, but he would not allow anything like this Karofsky incident to happen again._

_"Is he still downstairs pouting?" Burt asked when Blaine walked into the living room, his face twisted __in anger._

_"No, he's sleeping and I am glad that he isn't up to hear what I have to say." Blaine's voice went deep and harsh. The others reacted instinctively, placing themselves between their Alpha and the young man whom they suddenly sensed a threat._

_"What exactly is that?" Will, the most senior of the betas present, asked. He didn't bother to hide his defensive posture._

_"This pack has done nothing to ensure my future mate's safety. I am this close to taking him with me today, as our laws say that I can." Blaine said, his eyes gleaming golden with fury._

_"Excuse me?" Burt demanded his voice deadly quiet. "You dare come into my home, my territory, and say something like that to me about my son? He's not yours yet, pup."_

_"You're damn right I said that. Do you know? Do you even have the slightest clue how your Alpha in Training and your Betas have failed to protect my intended?"_

_"We didn't fail." Mike said, defending himself and the others. "McKinley is neutral ground. Nothing bad happens there. It's a safe place for everyone."_

_"Really? How safe was it for Kurt when Karofsky continually went after him and harassed him? Were you even aware of what was happening to him or were you too busy sniffing around the most convenient and available skirt to notice?" Blaine snapped._

_"Come on, man. Don't you think you're taking it a little too far?" Finn asked. "Seems like Kurt's drama queen-ness is starting to rub off on you."_

_"Do not go there, Hudson. You failed as Alpha in Training when Kurt's safety was less important than you spending time with Rachel Berry and you know it."_

_"Dude, seriously…" Finn said, starting to get irritated with this pint-sized hobbit making him look like an idiot in front of his Alpha and step-father._

_"No, it's time someone called you all out on your irresponsibility. You all knew Karofsky had it out for Kurt and yet, you all left him unprotected when he was with Artie. Is that how you plan on running this pack someday?" Blaine chastised him._

_"All right, that's enough." Finn growled. "You don't even know my brother. We knew Artie wanted to talk to him about the blue eyes thing and how uncomfortable Kurt would be if we were around. We thought we were doing the right thing."_

_"Is there a reason why he couldn't have talked to him here where it's safe instead of someplace where Karofsky is skulking around? That dog lives to harass Kurt and make his life miserable." Blaine didn't care that he was probably overstepping, but he wasn't about to let them put Kurt at risk again._

_"We didn't think of that." Finn admitted._

_"Of course you didn't because you weren't thinking. Do you even have any idea of what happened? Do you know how close Kurt came to being a permanent chew toy for Karofsky?" Blaine growled._

_"All right. Someone had better tell me what the hell happened, now." Burt practically roared, exerting every last ounce of his authority._

_"Karofsky was harassing him again and they had words. That dog shoved Kurt against some lockers and kissed him; on the mouth, on the throat, and his shoulders which explains why he reeked of him when he found me in the parking lot. If Kurt hadn't had the presence of mind to knee him in the crotch, he probably would have marked him right there in the hallway like some cheap two dollar whore," Blaine said harshly. Burt dropped heavily into a nearby chair. The betas and Finn all paled dramatically and exchanged guilt filled looks. They had screwed up in a big way._

_"Oh my God." Burt murmured, his anger replaced by guilt. He should have ended the Karofsky's years ago. They'd been a thorn in his side since he was in high school. This had crossed the line. "I want a meeting with Sue to discuss this altercation."_

_"I don't think a meeting is going to solve this problem with Karofsky." Blaine answered. "I think the larger problem is how your Alpha in Training and your Betas failed."_

_"We did the best we could." Santana snapped. "We didn't know what was happening with Karofsky."_

_"You should have." Burt snapped back. "You are supposed to be this pack's best and brightest and you failed both me and my son completely. We will be discussing this later. For now, you are all dismissed. I suggest you take a good hard look at yourselves and your actions and try to figure out how you can rid yourself of this disgrace."_

_Wordlessly, Finn and the others filed out of the room and into the kitchen where Carole and the girls were making tea, heads down and eyes averted._

_"I will be assigning two of our betas from Westerville to keep a watch on Kurt until we are officially mated." Blaine said turning to Burt. "I assume that will be okay since he is still being kept at home."_

_"Yes, that's fine, Blaine, and yes, Kurt will continued to be home schooled. For what it's worth, I apologize for their failures. Rest assured it won't happen again."_

_"I appreciate that. I, for my part, am sorry if I overstepped, but they needed to understand just how serious this was. "Blaine said as he shrugged into his coat. "For now, it is pretty late and I need to go speak with my father. I will be by tomorrow afternoon to see Kurt. Wes, David, and Nick will be outside if you need anything."_

_ZZZZZ_

_Hummel House…_

_"What the hell were you thinking, Finn?" Burt exploded later once he had calmed down somewhat and summoned Finn and the others back into the living room. "You are the Alpha in Training and Kurt is your brother."_

_"I just wanted to talk to Rachel. I mean, Kurt was with Artie."_

_"That doesn't make it okay, Finn. You had orders and you failed. I certainly am disappointed in you."_

_"I am sorry, Burt."_

_"I'm just glad nothing worse happened or we'd be having a whole different discussion."_

_"I understand." Finn nodded._

_"Good, and my Betas. You are supposed to be the best of the best, taking care of members of this pack and you also failed." Burt addressed Will, Puck, Mike, and Santana. "How would you feel if someone failed to protect one of your family members?"_

_"No one has ever bothered Artie and we thought Kurt would be safe with him. I mean, I didn't want to hear about the blue eyed thing either." Puck shrugged. "I thought they'd want some privacy."_

_"Hmm. I don't want this to ever happen again. You go home and get some sleep. You all have school in the morning." Burt said. "But this issue will be addressed at the next pack meeting, you can be sure of that. This will not be allowed, for anyone, regardless of their pack status."_

_"What about protecting Kurt?" Santana asked._

_"I think Blaine's guards and I can protect Kurt during the day." Burt said. "I know he gave them strict orders not to let Kurt leave and I don't doubt they'll live up to their orders."_

_ZZZZZ_

_"Hello, Mr. Hummel." Blaine said when Burt opened the door._

_"Blaine, come on in. Kurt is refusing to leave the attic study." Burt sighed. "He's pissed at me because I told him he couldn't come to tonight's pack meeting."_

_"Oh?" Blaine was surprised. He figured Kurt would be more than welcome at any meeting of the Lima Pack._

_"I didn't think it would be a good idea for Kurt to be there when I dress down the Pack for their failure to protect him. I didn't want him to be on display." Burt's heart was weighing pretty heavily. He would never admit to his son that there were some in the pack who were prejudiced because of Kurt's beautiful blue eyes._

_"My father was not pleased with my failure as well, Mr. Hummel." Blaine's ears were still ringing from his father's dressing down._

_"Why? You weren't responsible for Kurt, Blaine. What happened wasn't your fault." Burt said._

_"But he is my future mate and it is my responsibility." Blaine answered. "My guys just changed shifts, so the wolves out there tonight are fresh and rested."_

_"Good to hear that, but like I said... Kurt really isn't in the mood to be social."_

_"I'll see what I can do, Mr. Hummel. Has he had dinner?"_

_"He hasn't left the study since noon, so he's probably hungry." Burt said._

_"Okay. Let me worry about him tonight." Blaine smiled._

_ZZZZZ_

_Attic Study…_

_Kurt was pissed. How dare his father start excluding him from Pack meetings? He was the son of the Alpha and now he suddenly couldn't go. It just wasn't fair._

_"Kurt?" Blaine said knocking on the door and jiggling the knob, only to find it locked. "Would you please unlock the door?" Kurt refused to say anything._

_"You know a cheap lock won't keep me out if I want to get in, Kurt." Blaine laughed._

_"Don't you dare even think about destroying my house, Anderson." Kurt yelled. Blaine easily slid the door open with the credit card trick._

_"I don't have to destroy anything, but I wanted to see your face."_

_"Go away. Go back home. Just go away from me."_

_"I know you're mad, but I thought I could cook dinner for you and we could spend some time together."_

_"I don't want to spend any time with you, Blaine. Go away."_

_"Really, Kurt? Acting like a spoiled child is a little ridiculous."_

_"You want to see spoiled child?" Kurt sneered, even though it wasn't Blaine's fault he was in a bad mood. Blaine sighed._

_"Haven't we had conversations like this? You know I'll always win, so give in now, Kurt. There's no reason to act like this because you're mad."_

_"It's not your life that everyone thinks they run, Anderson."_

_"You know, Kurt, it would be nice if maybe just once, you tried to stop and remember that you're not the only one who had no choice in this." Blaine said, shaking his head and shutting the door behind him. He didn't feel like fighting with Kurt tonight and with the mood he was in, it was probably better if he just left the blue eyed boy to sulk._

_ZZZZZ_

_"Well, this is certainly interesting." Sue taunted as the men sat down. "To what do I owe the pleasure of Burt Hummel, Will Schuester, Drake Anderson, and Lane Hughes meeting with me?"_

_"We're here to discuss the problem with Karofsky."_

_"I wasn't aware there was a problem with David. He is my Alpha in Training, you know, personally trained by me."_

_"The problem, Sue, is that Karofsky doesn't seem to get Kurt is promised to another and not available."_

_"Promised doesn't mean officially mated, gentlemen. Until the mating ceremony is completed, young blue eyes is still available. I see no fault with my Alpha in Training. He's a young healthy wolf looking for a mate."_

_"If you don't get a handle on Karofsky, he may end up disappearing one of these days."_

_"Now, see, I thought we were being polite and you go and make a threat like that. Not very gentlemanly, boys."_

_"It's not a threat if you follow through. Just remember that," Burt reminded her. Sue smiled coldly at the men._

_"Since we've decided to take the gloves off, Burt, do you know where your son is because I do. I know every move blue eyes makes. I certainly hope you keep him on a short leash from now on."_

_"I would have thought the past had taught you not to go there, Sue. You won't win."_

_"The past has taught me many things, Hummel. Including using any method to get what I want and with one exception, I always get what I want."_

_"You won't this time. My son is quite attached to his potential mate and you don't want to take on the Westerville Pak. We don't lose…at anything. You would do well to remember that."_

_"I guess we'll see what happens when and if the mating ceremony takes place and exactly who the participants are."_

_"Oh, the ceremony will take place. You can be sure of that. You know we protect what's ours at any cost. Don't let your boy make a stupid mistake that could cost your pack their next Alpha," Drake Anderson growled._

_"Now, now. There's no reason to get angry. My David is simply a young wolf growing into himself and this is the age of experimentation."_

_"My ass, Sue. Keep him away from my son or I will act as the Alpha of my pack and handle it myself. You know, I have every right once he put his hands on my kid," Burt snapped._

_"How do you know blue eyes didn't want Karofsky touching him?"_

_"Because I know my son, Sue. He doesn't want David near him for any reason."_

_"Hmm…" Sue said, standing up and gathering her things. "Remember what I said. Promised doesn't mean mated." With a final smirk, she strode out of the shop._

_"That went well," Burt said sarcastically. "We have to increase our patrols and protection on Kurt. She's devious enough to plan another attack."_

_"Kurt is being home schooled and isn't allowed to leave the house. She's not brave enough to launch an attack on an Alpha's house," Drake scoffed._

_"You'd be surprised at what people do when they're desperate, Anderson, besides she's done it before," Burt said bleakly, remembering the attack in which Lizzie had been killed_

_"I'll leave it up to you Hummel… you know her better than I do. I will not, however, commit any more of my pack to your son's protection. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to tend to," Drake said, pulling on his coat and leaving. Burt glared at the man's retreating back. He was really starting to hate that guy and couldn't help but wonder what he had sentenced his son to._


	8. Chapter 7The Beta Relationship

_**"While the Alpha is unquestionably the leader of the pack, much of the day to day business of running the pack falls to the betas, specifically the chief Beta. For this reason it is essential that the beta positions be filled by, not only the packs best and brightest, but by individuals whom the Alpha can trust unquestioningly. Betas are the eyes and ears of their Alpha and the Alpha/Beta relationship is often established in early childhood. They are closer than brothers and a Beta will give his life in the service of his Alpha without question."**_

_**-an excerpt from The Politics of the Wolf by Arthur Abrams of Lima**_

_Kurt stared into the box in horror before slamming it shut and looking back at Blaine. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"_

_"It's how we do things in our pack to show one has been claimed. It might be silly to you, but it's tradition in our pack and you will wear it," Blaine shrugged genuinely confused about Kurt's opposition to wearing the gift. He'd thought Kurt had finally accepted this union._

_"Hell will have to freeze over first, Anderson." Kurt shoved the box containing the necklace back at Blaine._

_"Don't make me have to put it on you because I will and I can promise it will be less romantic." Blaine said, starting to lose his temper. He was getting very tired of everything with Kurt being such a battle._

_"Try it and see what happens, Blaine. You are not going to bully me into wearing a collar for your pack. Do you even realize how humiliating this would be for me here?" Kurt looked at Blaine. "No one in the Lima Pack wears a collar, hell, even Sue's pack doesn't wear collars. I am not wearing that thing, ever."_

_"It's not a collar, Kurt," Blaine explained, realizing at last why Kurt was upset. "It's simply a necklace. I don't understand why you must always see me in the worst possible light. Why are you so opposed to it?"_

_"I'm opposed to it because everyone will know."_

_"Kurt, everyone already knows we are going to be mated on the Winter Solstice." Blaine chuckled._

_"That's months away, Blaine. That necklace is right now."_

_"I thought we'd made some progress, Kurt, but apparently I was wrong thinking you understood me."_

_"You can't possibly expect me to bow to your every whim, Blaine Anderson."_

_"This isn't a whim, Kurt. This is something very important to the Westerville Pack and to me."_

_"Who wears these necklaces, Blaine?" Kurt crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the offending box._

_"The claimed mate. Yours is a little different because I'm the Alpha. Traditionally they are worn on a gold chain, but I thought the leather cord would look better on you so I had it modified. My father was not pleased, but I did it anyway for you."_

_"It's a nice thought, Blaine, but I am not wearing that necklace." Kurt fumed. Blaine growled, completely fed up with Kurt's attitude._

_"You know what, fine. Wear it, don't wear it. I really don't care anymore." And he stormed out of the house, shutting the door harder than necessary to let Kurt know he was leaving. He stalked past a concerned Wes and David, who weren't sure what was going on, but were pretty certain it wasn't good._

_"Umm… Blaine? Everything ok?" David asked tentatively._

_"Just peachy, except for the fact that I'm going to be mated to the most stubborn, bull-headed, spoiled Lycan on the planet. He actually accused me of wanting to collar him. Can you fucking believe that? Well, you know what? I'm done. He can just sit and stew until he comes to his senses," Blaine growled._

_"Ok," Wes said slowly. He couldn't recall ever seeing Blaine this upset, other than when Karofsky had touched Kurt. "So are we staying here or should we follow you home?"_

_"No, you are still assigned to watch him and not to let him leave the house or let Karofsky get anywhere near him." Blaine might be angry with Kurt, but he'd never put his mate's safety in jeopardy._

_As Blaine stalked off into the wooded area which surrounded the Hummel house, Wes sighed. No doubt his Alpha was off for a run to blow off some steam. It was Blaine's go to coping mechanism, and something he'd been doing a lot since he'd met Kurt. Despite all of the drama, Wes genuinely liked Kurt, but the way he kept hurting Blaine had to stop. His alpha had been hurt far too many times by the people he loved and there was no way Wes was going to stand by and watch it happen again._

_ZZZZZ_

_Several days went by without Blaine showing up and Kurt was miserable. He didn't realize how much he looked forward to Blaine's visits until they stopped. So on Monday afternoon, when there was a knock on the door while Finn was at school and Burt and Carole were at work, Kurt couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement thinking Blaine had finally come back to work things out. He was shocked when he opened the door to find not Blaine but Wesley standing there._

_"Wesley?" Kurt asked puzzled._

_"Hello Kurt. May I come in?" Wes asked, ever the polite Dalton boy._

_"Of course," Kurt said stepping back from the door so that he could enter. "Is everything ok?"_

_"Ok? No Kurt. Everything is not ok," Wes said fighting the urge to yell at the young man. "I like you Kurt. I genuinely do. In many ways I think that you are very good for Blaine. You balance him out and you've made him happier than I have seen him in a very long time, however, you've also caused him more pain than anyone but his father."_

_"I've hurt Blaine?" Kurt demanded, crossing his arms and giving Wesley and icy glare. "I'm not the one who gave him a dog collar."_

_"Blaine would never give someone a collar Kurt, especially not someone he loved like I believe he does you. The necklace," Wes said emphasizing the word necklace. "That he gave you was actually a pendant that his grandfather gave to his grandmother. Blaine had it restrung from the gold chain it was on to a leather cord because he thought it looked more masculine that way and that you would like it better. It was important to him. He was sharing something of great personal value to him with you and you threw it back in his face."_

_"I didn't know," Kurt said, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty._

_"Of course you didn't, because you haven't bothered to find out. He has spent the last month and a half bending over backwards to please you and you haven't even attempted to get to know him, to consider his feelings, or the fact that he was forced into this just as much, if not more so than you," Wes snapped._

_"What do you mean more so?" Kurt demanded. Wesley shook his head._

_"Blaine's relationship with his father is horrible. His grandparents raised him because his Mom died in childbirth and Drake couldn't be bothered with him. As you can imagine his relationship with his father was practically non-existent until Blaine's grandfather died… and now… now Blaine deals with constant criticism from Drake and he just takes it because he knows if he stands up to him, Drake will just dispose of him the way he has anyone who opposes him and do you know why he does it? Not for himself… he does it because if Blaine's gone there's no one to protect the pack from the damage that Drake is constantly inflicting upon it. It wears on him Kurt, so much so that almost every night he goes out and runs himself into exhaustion just so he can sleep without hearing his father's voice in his head calling him worthless and weak. Now he runs to get rid of your voice too… telling him he's like that mongrel Karofsky… accusing him of wanting to collar you…." Wes growled. "He needs someone to support him and help him to get rid of those voices not another person to tear him down."_

_Kurt sat down in a nearby chair, placing a hand over his mouth before looking at Wesley with luminous eyes._

_"Oh my god… I've been so blind and self-centered and self-absorbed and I…" Kurt burst into tears and threw himself sobbing into Wesley's arms._

_"Crap… I didn't mean to make you cry Kurt. Please don't cry… Blaine will kill me if he finds out and really I'm completely useless at this sort of thing. Please please stop," Wesley begged, awkwardly patting Kurt on the back._

_"He must hate me now. I've been such a bitch and all he's done is try to protect me and really he's been so patient with me. Do you think that he'll forgive me?" Kurt asked timidly once he'd calmed down somewhat._

_"I'm certain he will, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry I made you cry… I just… Blaine is my brother in every way but blood. I couldn't stand to see him alone and hurting anymore," Wesley replied._

_"Thank you Wesley," Kurt said, pulling away and wiping at his eyes._

_"For what? I made you cry," Wes pointed out. Kurt smiled at him._

_"You also comforted me, but to answer your question… Thank you for the wakeup call. I obviously needed it and also… thank you for standing up for him and taking care of him. You're a good friend Wes. He's lucky to have you," Kurt said putting a hand on his shoulder._

_"I don't know about that, but you're welcome regardless Kurt, just please remember what I've said and give him a chance. He really does care about you," Wes responded as he headed for the door._

_Deep in thought, Kurt went to his room, taking the box with the necklace in it out of his top dresser drawer and looking at it. Maybe he had judged the jewelry a little too harshly….Blaine had gone to the trouble of getting the pendant strung on a leather cord and it would be a shame to let all that effort go to waste, besides it belonged to his grandmother, whom, according to Wes he had adored. Biting his lip, he took the necklace out of the box and put it on, tucking it underneath his shirt. The pendant was peculiarly warm against his skin and he felt oddly complete with it. Walking over to his bed, he lay down on it curling up around his pillow as he pondered exactly how he was going to fix the mess with Blaine._

_Eventually his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep only to be woken a couple of hours later by the sound of the doorbell ringing downstairs. Kurt bit his lip, refusing to acknowledge that he hoped it was Blaine, but the surge of disappointment he felt when he heard his father greet their guests was hard to deny._

_"Hello Santana, ladies." Burt welcomed the girls into the house. "What's going on?"_

_"We were wondering if we could grab Kurt and go out to Lake Lima for a run. We know he's been cooped up in the house for a while." Santana said._

_"I don't know." Burt wasn't sure about letting Kurt go with some girls, even if Santana was the most ferocious one in their pack._

_"It might make him less moody." Rachel chimed in. Burt couldn't help but laugh._

_"If only that was possible these days."_

_Kurt snorted as he heard his father's comment. He knew he'd been less than pleasant company lately, and he supposed he should perhaps stop his little tantrums now that he was about to be mated. He froze as he realized exactly what he'd just admitted to himself, and was surprised at just how little it bothered him. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, checked himself in the mirror once more and left his room, determined to turn over a new leaf. He was an adult. It was time he acted like one. He came downstairs, after making sure the necklace was still safely tucked under his shirt one more time. He wasn't exactly hiding it. He just felt like Blaine should be the first one to know he was wearing it._

_"Can I go, Dad? I mean, Lake Lima is Lima Pack Territory and there's no way Sue or Karofsky would be stupid enough to encroach with Santana around. Please Daddy?" he asked as he came down the stairs, striving to maintain a calm demeanor._

_"All right, for a few hours." Burt sighed. "I want you all back here by dark though."_

_"Thank you Daddy," Kurt couldn't help but give a little jump and hug his father. OK perhaps he wasn't completely grown-up, he conceded to himself, but who cared. He was getting out of his prison and going for a run. He could almost hear his wolf howling with joy as he grabbed his coat and followed the noisily chatting girls out of the house_

_ZZZZZ_

_Lake Lima…._

_Kurt felt good finally being able to expend his pent up energies, as he made a third pass around the lake. He had outrun the girls quite a while ago, and had, in fact, almost lapped them when he sensed the presence of others. He frowned. They didn't smell familiar. Instinctively he growled low in his throat. Someone was trespassing on Lima pack lands. He increased his speed to catch the girls so that the interlopes could be dealt with when seven unfamiliar wolves broke out from the woods, forcing him off the path to a deserted corner of the lake. He felt a fission of fear when Karofsky came strolling out of the woods. The other boy nodded and the other Lycans disappeared back into the tree line. Kurt growled barring his teeth at the boy who had, for a long time now, been the bane of his existence._

_"Come now Kurt, I know your father taught you better manners than that. Transform," Karofsky said. Sadly, Kurt knew he was right. It was considered exceedingly rude to remain in wolf form when others were not. Reluctantly he shifted back to his human form._

_"What the hell do you want?" Kurt sneered._

_"Well, well, well. Alone at last. Whatever shall we do?" Karofsky leered at Kurt before grabbing him and pinning him up against a nearby tree._

_"Get your filthy paws off me, Karofsky." Kurt growled, shoving the other boy away from him._

_"Come on, Kurt, you know what it does to me when you fight like that." Karofsky grabbed the front of Kurt's shirt, tearing it open and pinning him up against the tree again. Kurt couldn't help the shiver of fear that raced through him at the flash of anger in Karofsky's eyes at the sight of the necklace clasped firmly around his neck._

_"Domesticated now, Kurt?" Karofsky snarled. "You know, those who wear collars belong on their knees in the dirt."_

_"It's not a collar, you bastard." Kurt snapped. "It's a gift from my intended mate."_

_With a growl, Karofsky backhanded Kurt, snapping his head back to collide with the tree. Kurt couldn't help the whimper of pain that escaped him at the impact. Karofsky's face was inches from his when suddenly, it was ripped away. Sue's hulking Alpha in Training was sprawled on the ground, at Blaine's feet._

_"I thought I told you once about touching my mate." Blaine growled._

_"The way I hear it, Kurt hasn't accepted you. He's fair game for anyone who wants to take him. I mean, those blue eyes must drive you out of your skin. I know they do me, but then he's been teasing me with them for years," Karofsky taunted._

_"You really shouldn't listen to rumors, Karofsky. It could be hazardous to your health. Especially when you're touching what's mine," Blaine responded placing himself protectively in front of Kurt._

_"I'll believe it when I see it." Karofsky scoffed._

_"Well, believe it." Kurt hissed, grabbing Blaine and planting a very thorough kiss on the unsuspecting boy._

_"Miss me?" Blaine smirked when Kurt finally pulled away._

_"More than you know, but we'll talk about that later. For now, let's just get out of here." Kurt said, blushing._

_"You're not going anywhere, princess." Karofsky snarled._

_"I was sort of hoping you'd be that stupid." Blaine grinned, pushing Kurt towards Wes and Nick and advancing on Karofsky._

_With a growl, both boys transformed and met midair teeth bared just as the girls, who were looking for Kurt arrived. Kurt ignored them, his eyes transfixed on the battle taking place in the clearing. Karofsky was as huge in his wolf form as he was in his human one. Blaine, however, was significantly smarter and faster. He darted in with vicious attacks ripping and tearing at the large wolf's legs and sides all the while making sure to stay clear of Karofsky's large, powerful jaws. The fight was over almost before it started as Blaine got in a particularly harsh bite that nearly ripped out the other wolf's throat and sent Karofsky yelping and limping off through the underbrush with his tail between his legs. Wes, David, and Santana followed him, while Blaine stayed behind and transformed back to reassure a distraught looking Kurt, who immediately threw himself into Blaine's arms._

_"Are you okay?" Kurt asked. "That had to be the bravest and stupidest thing that I have ever seen anyone do. He was bigger and meaner than you. He could have killed you!"_

_"I'm faster, smarter, and a hell of a lot more determined." Blaine reassured his future mate. "Besides, I've had worse injuries falling off furniture."_

_"I was so worried, Blaine." Kurt shook his head._

_"Hey, I'm okay." Blaine said, placing a gentle kiss on Kurt's lips before fingering the pendant around Kurt's neck. "This looks good on you."_

_"I realized I was being stupid about it. I shouldn't have fought it, but I'm so used to fighting for everything. First it was fighting to show people that I can be an Alpha in Training and then it was overcoming the stereotypes about blue eyes. Now, I have to fight to show everyone that I'm not just a pretty face who's being mated."_

_"Kurt…" Blaine truly had no idea how difficult things were for his potential mate._

_"I always thought a relationship and mating ceremony would be more romantic and not just a business deal, but I guess you take what life gives you and I feel so incredibly lucky it has given me someone as patient and wonderful as you are Blaine," Kurt admitted blushing. "I'd really like it if you took me home now. We could maybe go to my room and spend some time talking. I mean we don't really know that much about each other and I want to get to know you better so I don't make stupid mistakes like this again." The smile that lit up Blaine's face at his words was blinding._

_"Sure Kurt, I'd really like that," Blaine said. He was thrilled that Kurt had finally given him a chance and silently vowed to himself to make Kurt see that this was a lot more than a business deal to him, and had been for quite some time._


	9. Chapter 8 A Courting Ritual

_**"Courting rituals amongst Lycans are very similar to those of their human counterparts, particularly in the modern age. There are, however, a few differences simply because of the submissive/dominant aspects of Lycan relationships . The approval of the submissive mate's parents must be gained in order for a submissive to feel comfortable entering into a courtship. Further, this is the one instance where submissives have the upper hand as the dominant must work to gain the acceptance of their submissive half for without the agreement and acceptance of both parties, a true mating bond cannot be established."**_

_**-an excerpt from Lycans: Life, Love, and Mythos by Arthur Abrams of Lima**_

_"That's it. This mess with Karofsky is going to be over right now," Burt snapped. He had been infuriated when the story of the afternoon's events had been relayed to him causing Kurt and Blaine to have to delay their conversation and snuggle time,_

_"Don't worry, Mr. Hummel, I doubt he will even show his face around here again." Blaine confidently said._

_"Yeah, after Anderson beat his ass, he was slinking away with his tail between his legs to protect his balls." Santana brightly grinned. She'd be telling this story for years to come. Burt shook his head at the saucy beta's smirk before sighing tiredly. This obviously wasn't going to get solved tonight._

_"Why don't you girls head home? It's already late and I know your parents will be concerned."_

_"Tell Kurt we're really sorry about what happened tonight." Rachel said. Blaine nodded and made his way down to Kurt's bedroom._

_"Hey, can I come in?" Blaine stood in the doorway._

_"Sure." Kurt nodded. "I just got out of the shower and was getting ready for bed."_

_"Okay, can I sit on your bed?"_

_"Blaine, it's okay. I mean, you beat Karofsky's ass for me. I don't think you need to ask if you can sit down in my room." Kurt wryly said. "Even though it won't be my room for much longer."_

_"Do you want to talk?"_

_"Talking isn't going to make this situation better, Blaine." Kurt reminded him. "I thought getting a mate would be so much more romantic. I pictured hearts and flowers and romantic dates. This is so much more like a business deal and it sucks."_

_"Kurt…"_

_"Please don't. We've talked enough about me and my baggage. I really want to hear about you Blaine. What were you like as a child?" Kurt whispered Blaine chuckled pecking the top of Kurt's head._

_"My grandmother used to call me precocious," Blaine said smiling, happy to have someone to share these precious memories with._

_As he talked, Kurt snuggled into his embrace laying his head on Blaine's chest. Blaine wrapped one arm around Kurt, pulling him closer while his hand was gently running through Kurt's hair. A few hours later, when Burt went to get the boys for dinner, he found them both wrapped in each other's arms fast asleep._

_ZZZZZZ_

_Kurt was in the kitchen the next morning helping Carole make breakfast when Finn walked in with a large bouquet of flowers and a box of candy. He quirked an eyebrow and smiled at his brother._

_"You got flowers and candy for Rachel." Kurt almost squealed in delight. "It's about time you took my advice and romanced that girl some. They're beautiful Finn. Very nicely done. I'm impressed. She'll love them."_

_"Uh, no, dude. These were just dropped off for you," Finn said awkwardly handing Kurt the flowers and candy._

_"For me?" Kurt said in surprise. "Who on earth?"_

_"Why don't you check the card sweetheart?" Carole said pointing at a small white card tucked in the bouquet._

_"Who are those from?" Burt asked, immediately suspicious._

_"They're from Blaine." Kurt was unable to keep the smile off his face and he would swear the pendant on his necklace warmed his skin._

_"So, is the boy courting you or what?" Burt gruffly asked, though inside, he was secretly pleased that his son seemed to be warming towards his future mate._

_"I don't know, but it's very sweet," Kurt said before leaving the kitchen in search of a vase._

_ZZZZZ_

_"Kurt, you have to see this." Finn hollered from the living room._

_"What are you hollering about Finn?" an irritated Kurt demanded coming downstairs from where he had been reading some of the information Artie had given him._

_"There are __boys in blazers in the front yard."_

_"What do you mean boys in blazers…? Oh my god," Kurt exclaimed clapping his hand over his mouth as he peered out the living room window._

_"Isn't that the Dalton Academy Crest?" Carole asked, not bothering to hide her smile._

_"It is." Kurt acknowledged as the boys and Blaine launched into a song._

_"That is so sweet and romantic." Carole sighed._

_"It's certainly something." Burt said gruffly._

_"Can I go outside and talk to Blaine? Please?" Kurt asked since he technically wasn't allowed out the front door for any reason._

_"Kurt…"_

_"Dad, there are 14 wolves out there, one of whom is Blaine. I don't think anyone is stupid enough to even think about attempting anything." Kurt reminded his father._

_"For a few minutes, Kurt." Burt gave in and Kurt practically sailed out of the front door. Blaine raced over to Kurt when the front door opened and he stepped outside._

_"Did you like it?"_

_"It was certainly interesting." Kurt didn't want to give away how impressed he was with Blaine's attempts to court him, but he couldn't quite hide the sparkle in his eyes or his pleased blush._

_"Just interesting?" Blaine asked, pouting slightly. Kurt rolled his eyes._

_"It was very nice Blaine," He conceded._

_"I'm glad you liked it." Blaine grinned. He was learning to read between the lines with Kurt and knew that the boy was significantly more pleased with the performance Blaine had orchestrated than he was letting on._

_"Hmm…" Kurt played it off. He couldn't believe that Blaine had actually listened when he'd talked about being courted properly. Kurt was touched by the thoughtfulness._

_"Don't worry, Kurt. I'm not done yet." Blaine smirked, enjoying how his mate was trying to be coy. It delighted him immensely at how Kurt liked his serenade._

_"Blaine, you really don't have to." Kurt didn't want Blaine thinking he had to go all out and impress him, even if it meant Blaine had obviously listened to what he'd been saying._

_"Yes, I do, Kurt. You deserve to be treated as special as you are and I'm thrilled to be the one doing it."_

_"You're just a big puppy. Do you know that Blaine Anderson?" Kurt flirted. Blaine grinned and mimed looking around to make sure no one was listening._

_"Shhh… don't tell. You'll blow my cover as the big bad Alpha in Training," he said. Kurt couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that escaped. Blaine's heart soared at the sound of Kurt's happiness. He leaned in and caught Kurt's lips in a sweet kiss, which was interrupted moments later by the sound of Wesley clearing his throat. Blaine pulled away sighing._

_"It's late and we need to get back," he said apologetically. "But I was wondering if you had plans tomorrow night?"_

_"No, why?" Kurt answered. Surely, Blaine would remember that he was on lockdown and unable to leave the house._

_"I want to take you out on a date…to Westerville tomorrow night at seven. You can meet some more of the pack members from Dalton and I have another surprise for you."_

_"I'm still on lockdown. My father…" Kurt said. Blaine placed a finger over his lips._

_"Let me worry about your Dad," he said._

_"Alright then Blaine. I'll see you tomorrow at seven," Kurt said pulling away and heading towards the door. He turned just before going in, however. "Oh and Blaine? I'll be waiting for that surprise, so don't disappoint."_

_"Oh, I won't." Blaine just smirked and waved as they headed to their cars, once Kurt was safely back in the house._

_"What was that about?" Burt demanded of his son who was standing with his back to the door and a dreamy smile on his face._

_"Blaine asked me out on a date for tomorrow night." Kurt beamed._

_"As happy as I am for you, it's just not a good idea for the two of you to be out alone right now in Lima." Burt felt so bad that he had to put the brakes on their plans._

_"That's not a problem, Dad. Blaine is taking me to Westerville so I can meet some of his friends at Dalton."_

_"Oh, well, in that case, I hope the two of you have a nice time in Westerville." Burt answered._

_"Thanks Daddy," Kurt said, hugging him and then pulling abruptly away. "Oh my God! I have nothing to wear! I have to call Mercedes!"_

_Burt just shook his head at his son as he thundered up the stairs pulling his cellphone out as he went._

_ZZZZZ_

_Date Night_

_"You look amazing, but you didn't need to dress up to meet everyone at Dalton, Kurt." Blaine said as they walked through the hallways to the Warbler Room._

_"I wanted to look my best, Blaine. These are your friends."_

_"And they're going to be your friends too, soon." Blaine said. "I want you to feel comfortable around them before we're mated."_

_"Blaine…"_

_"Here we are." Blaine pushed open the heavy oak doors where 13 other boys turned and stared. "Hey guys. This is Kurt. Kurt, these are the guys."_

_"Hello." Kurt quietly said, feeling like he wanted to turn around and run back out the doors as they stared at him._

_"Guys, come on. Quit staring at him." Blaine was fed up with how long they were looking at Kurt._

_"He has blue eyes. I've never seen anyone in real life with eyes that blue."_

_"And those blue eyes belong to me." Blaine snorted. "I wanted him to come and see the school since he will be attending here in January."_

_"He's coming here after you're mated?" Another boy asked._

_"Why wouldn't he be going to school here?" Blaine looked in the direction of the boy who said that._

_"I guess we just kind of assumed he'd stay home and, you know..."_

_ "Kurt is not a slave__." Blaine angrily said. "He is a person with feelings and will be treated with respect."_

_"Blaine…" Kurt was uncomfortable with these pack members and wanted to leave._

_"Its okay, Kurt. They won't dream of saying one more word like that, will you guys?" Blaine stared at all of them._

_"No… they won't." Wes agreed, adding his authority to Blaine's. Kurt gave him a grateful smile "Kurt is there anything here at the school you want to see?"_

_"I'd like to see the library. I do like to read in my free time." Kurt quietly said._

_"Excellent. The library here at Dalton is amazing. I think you'll be able to find a book on any subject that your heart desires." Wes said, steering Kurt out of the room while Blaine turned back to his pack mates with a harsh glare._

_ ZZZZZ_

_"So, this is our place after the mating ceremony happens." Blaine unlocked the door and flipped on a light._

_"It's not exactly like I imagined my first place." Kurt admitted, cringing at the bare space._

_"What did you imagine?" Blaine asked, curious._

_"I thought it would be an apartment in New York with a view of Central Park." Kurt said._

_"Really? Your first place was going to have a view like that?"_

_"At least in my dreams, it did."_

_"Ah." Blaine said._

_"It's a little plain for my tastes." Kurt was cringing at the bare white walls. He would have a lot of work ahead of him, if Blaine allowed him to decorate._

_"I told my dad to leave it pretty neutral. I knew you'd want to give it your personal touch. I want us both to be comfortable here."_

_"That was nice of you, Blaine." Kurt was surprised that his mate would let him do something like that. Blaine Anderson of the Westerville Pack was just full of surprises._

_"I got a bunch of paint colors, fabric samples, and swatches for you. I figure you can pretty much order anything on the internet for the place." Blaine said._

_"Really? You trust my judgment to decorate our house?" Kurt looked at Blaine. "The entire house?"_

_"You can't do school work all day and I know you must be getting stir crazy not being able to leave the house at all. I thought maybe you would enjoy keeping yourself busy with this, Kurt." Blaine answered._

_"Wow. I've never had a whole house to decorate." Kurt said._

_"It's just mostly the cosmetic stuff. The appliances in the kitchen are top of the line brand new, so you don't have to worry about any of that kind of stuff." Blaine said. He'd made sure his father had gotten all the good stuff when the house was given to them. Kurt eyed his mate warily._

_"What's my budget for decorating?"_

_"Let's just try to keep it under ten thousand for the whole place, please?" Blaine implored Kurt. "We could probably afford a little more, but I'd rather not have to get in a fight with my father about it."_

_"I can do that, Blaine. Really. I am a master with making things work. You can trust me to make this place our home. Oh my God this is amazing!" Kurt squealed hugging Blaine with delight._

_"Our home…I like the sound of that. " Blaine said wrapping Kurt more firmly in his embrace._

_"Me too." Kurt admitted, blushing. He was starting to believe that something which had started as his worst nightmare might be the key to making his dreams come true._

_"Come on, I should probably get you home. Your dad will be worried about you."_


	10. Chapter 9 Opening Up

_**Chapter 9**_

_**"Because of the duality of the Lycan nature, there are certain physiological imperatives. While in the modern era most Lycans spend a large portion of their time in their human forms, it can have horrific consequences should a Lycan neglect their lupine side. Other than breeding mothers who are protected by hormones unique to them, Lycans who refuse to or are unable to shift for extended periods of time may be subject to involuntary or permanent shifting, madness, or even in extreme cases death. Furthermore, Lycans have an innate drive to hunt and run in much the same way that they must shift and with similar consequences should they neglect this aspect of their nature."**_

_**-an excerpt from Lycans: Life, Love, and Mythos by Arthur Abrams of Lima**_

Kurt was lying on his bed going through the swatches he had gotten a couple of days earlier from Blaine. He'd already picked out wall colors for the kitchen and living room and was now trying to figure out a color scheme for the master bedroom while simultaneously trying to not think about exactly what would be going on in said room. He was chewing on his lip torn between a rich chocolate brown and very pale lavender when the front doorbell rang. He heard the low murmur of voices from downstairs before his brother hollered up to him

"Dude! Door for you. It's Blaine!"

"Shit!" he muttered under his breath before hollering back. "I'll be right there!"

Kurt quickly put all of his swatches back in the binder he was assembling before practically flying to his closet to change out of the casual outfit he was wearing. He hurriedly did a check of his hair in front of the mirror of his vanity. He slowed his hurried pace at the top of the stairs and descended with what he hoped was a casual elegance. He felt his heart speed up at the sight of his soon to be mate standing in the living room chatting with Finn. The boy was too damned handsome for his own good or for Kurt's sanity. That wasn't, however, what had Kurt's pulse racing. It was the large bunch of orchids and roses clutched in his hand. Where on earth Blaine had found orchids this time of year, Kurt had no idea, but one thing was for sure, he had taken Kurt's mention of wanting to be romanced to heart.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, trying hard to hide his pleasure at Blaine's unexpected arrival.

"Hello to you too beautiful. I was hoping you wouldn't be busy tonight," Blaine said, smiling charmingly and presenting Kurt the flowers with a flourish.

"Thank you Blaine. They're gorgeous, and you've apparently forgotten. I'm on lockdown. I have no plans for the foreseeable future. What did you have in mind?" Kurt asked heading into the kitchen to look for a vase and beckoning for Blaine to follow him.

"I was hoping we could go to Westerville. There's something I want to show you," Blaine said leaning against the counter as Kurt filled the vase he had found and filled it with water. "And before you ask, it's a surprise so no… I won't tell you anything more about where we're going."

"Hmmph,"Kurt sniffed. "I wasn't going to ask anyway because I know how you like to be all infuriatingly sneaky. Either way, I suppose I can make room for you in my terribly busy schedule of sleeping and staring at the walls, assuming the warden will let me out."

"Kurt you know your dad is just worried about you," Blaine said gently. He knew Kurt was going stir crazy. Lycans hated being cooped up. They had a physiological need to run. It was part of the reason he had been arranging these outings for the blue eyed boy. Kurt sighed.

"I know, it's just… frustrating," Kurt said. "Come on let's go find Dad. You can ask him though. He never tells you no."

A short time later, Kurt and Blaine were driving though the high, golden gates of Dalton. Kurt looked out over the exquisitely manicured lawns awash in the light of a nearly full moon. The grounds were shrouded in a thick mist giving them a beautiful and mysterious s glow. His lupine half longed to jump out of the sleek black vehicle and race across the lawns of the school at a breakneck speed. The sharp tang of fear over what happened the last time he was transformed helped him to ruthlessly squelch that impulse however. Blaine parked the car and came around to help him out, always the gentleman, just one of the many things Kurt was coming to love about him. He took a deep breath of the crisp cold night air and felt himself begin to twitch slightly, so strong was the urge to transform.

"It's beautiful Blaine, but you've brought me to Dalton before. Why are we here tonight?" Kurt asked, the strain of maintaining his human form making him slightly more snippy than he had intended. "When you said date, I didn't exactly picture this."

"What exactly did you picture, Kurt?" Blaine asked cocking his head to the side in inquiry. He was interested in hearing his future mate's answer.

"A nice restaurant and maybe, if you played your cards right and didn't go all arrogant alpha on me… just maybe, some kissing." Kurt was blushing hard.

"While I really like the sound of that, especially the last part, I know you haven't transformed or gone out for a run since the incident at Lake Lima. I thought you'd be interested in going for one with me on the Dalton grounds."

"I don't know Blaine. It looks awfully cold and damp," Kurt said biting his lip. He longed for the freedom of a run, but he couldn't quite shake the memories of those moments when he was at Karofsky's mercy.

"Come on love," Blaine persuaded, taking his hand and putting a gentle kiss on his knuckles. "You've got to be ready to burst at the seams. It's not healthy to keep your wolf chained like that, you know. It makes it much harder to control our more… animalistic impulses."

Kurt sighed and cast a longing look at the lightly snow covered grounds. He was touched by Blaine's sincerity and concern. He could even admit that Blaine was probably right, he did need to allow his wolf to come to the surface, but he was still nervous. Karofsky's attack had damaged him in so many ways.

"Blaine…I don't…I mean…I'm scared," he admitted in a small voice.

"Kurt, the Dalton grounds are secure. Even Sue and Karofsky aren't stupid enough to attack a well-guarded school, that also happens to be where the Lycan Council holds its meetings, not to mention the fact that the place is filled with Lycans loyal to me that would pick up on their scents before they got anywhere near us. I would never suggest anything that wasn't safe and secure for you," Blaine said sincerely. He took Kurt in his arms offering him the comfort of his embrace, while mentally counting the ways he was going to torture Karofsky before he ripped him to shreds with nothing more than his teeth and claws.

"Are… are you sure?" Kurt asked quietly. Despite his fear, he was touched that Blaine was making him a priority. It warmed his heart and made him feel like here, with Blaine, he was finally safe.

"I'm absolutely certain, but if you're still uncomfortable, we can just go to dinner." Blaine didn't want Kurt to feel obligated to do anything, but he didn't want him to be afraid of allowing himself to be completely free, completely himself. He knew that Kurt would never admit it, but Blaine saw the way he flinched at unexpected contact from even his own pack. It hurt him to see the flash of fear in Kurt's eyes. If things continued the way they were, there was no way that Kurt would be able to attend Dalton in January with so many strangers. He ruthlessly stamped down another surge of anger at Karofsky at the thought that he might have taken yet another thing away from Kurt.

"A run would feel good." Kurt admitted at last, clenching his fists to stop their shaking. He hated being so scared of everything because of Karofsky. His heart fluttered in his chest as a brilliant smile burst across Blaine's features.

"Great! Come on," Blaine smiled pulling Kurt across the grounds to the forest which encircled the school. He stopped a few feet inside the tree line. "Ok this should be safe from prying eyes. You show me yours I'll show you mine."

"What?" Kurt stuttered. Blaine chuckled.

"Your wolf Kurt. I haven't seen your wolf form yet. You were already transformed when I got there at the lake," Blaine clarified. Kurt blushed, something he seemed to do frequently around his intended.

"I've already seen yours," Kurt pointed out, raising his chin defiantly. Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I showed you mine, now you show me yours," Blaine said. "Please Kurt."

"Oh alright," Kurt conceded waspishly to hide his nervousness about this. He took a deep breath and centered himself, then willed the shift to happen. He felt the familiar tingling discomfort before the wolf became dominant and he shifted. He was momentarily distracted by the barrage of sensory input that accompanied the change. Sounds were crisper, smells were sharper, and each one of his senses was suddenly that of an apex hunter. He quickly moved to face Blaine, who knelt in front of him.

With shaking fingers, Blaine reached out and ran his hands through the thick fur near Kurt's ears. Kurt nuzzled Blaine in pleasure at his touch. Before pulling away awkwardly and sniffing at the ground.

"Kurt, look at me," Blaine ordered. Kurt's head instantly snapped up. It was nearly impossible to resist an Alpha's command in this form. "You are so beautiful. The most beautiful wolf I have ever seen. The day Will Schuester walked into Dalton and presented me with the opportunity to have you as my mate was the best day of my life. Don't ever hide this part of yourself… don't ever be ashamed of it."

Standing, Blaine transformed into his own wolf. He stepped forward sniffing Kurt who instinctively bared his neck in submission. Blaine nuzzled at his throat for a moment snuffling into his ear before pulling back with a wolfish grin and leading the way through the fog shrouded night.

Kurt's blood was singing in his veins at the sheer thrill of his paws digging into the earth and the wind whispering through his fur as he ran. He was free and happy and young and this night was magic. He saw Blaine ahead of him in a clearing. He had transformed and was waiting patiently for him to catch up.

"Kurt, transform back, please," Blaine asked when he reached the clearing. Kurt pulled back in surprise.

"Why did you want me to be back to my human form?" Kurt whined when he transformed back. "It felt good to run with no fear." Kurt was raised to obey an Alpha and future Alpha's orders without complaint, but he didn't want to give Blaine any ideas of his subservience.

"So I can kiss you," he answered promptly. Laughing, Kurt slowly backed away from Blaine.

"If you want to kiss me, you have to work for it, Anderson. My kisses aren't free to anyone, you know. Catch me if you can," He quickly became his wolf form and raced away deeper into the forest.

Grinning, Blaine transformed and chased after him. They wove through the moonlight, barely visible. Blaine let his nose guide him to his intended. Kurt was fast, equal to or a fast as he was. Blaine was certain his soon to be mate would be quite a surprise to all of the stick in the mud old guards in the pack. He grinned in anticipation before putting on burst of speed and darting off the path through the woods to intercept his mate. He tackled him to the ground, both of them transforming back to their human selves as they fell.

"Pinned you again," Blaine panted. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Lion King Blaine? Really?"

"What can I say? I'm a Disney fan boy. Now, I believe you owe me a kiss because I caught you," Blaine whispered, swooping down and capturing Kurt's lips in his own before moving to his neck.

"Blaine!" Kurt squealed in protest, although he didn't attempt to stop him.

"What? I want to make sure I get it right for the ceremony and I have to practice, you know," Blaine said huskily his lips still moving up and down Kurt's throat.

"You were chewing on me," Kurt said feebly.

"Mmm," Blaine murmured. "Love bites, sweetheart… not even using my teeth… just sucking on it."

"You're going to leave marks," Kurt pouted.

"Mmhhhmm," Blaine agreed. "That's the general idea."

"What do you think my father is going to say?"

"Good job?" Blaine joked.

"Very funny Anderson. I meant to me, not you." Kurt sighed. "I'll probably get some big lecture about sex."

"That would be kind of pointless. We're going to be mated in less than a month," Blaine pointed out.

"Now relax Kurt and let me make that lecture worth it," he huskily murmured lowering his head to Kurt's lips again.

"I hate to bring you home. I can't wait until the day that I don't have to anymore," Blaine sighed as they pulled into the Hummel driveway a long time later.

"I... I'm looking forward to that too," Kurt admitted shyly.

"It's only a few more weeks and then we'll be officially mated. After that, we'll be together all of the time."

"Assuming I survive my dad seeing this hickey when I go in the house," Kurt responded examining his neck in the rear view mirror.

"Kurt, don't worry about it." Blaine laughed. "Your dad isn't going to give you trouble about it. Besides, if he does, you could always remind him there are worse things we could be doing."

"You are insane Blaine Anderson, and you obviously have a death wish if you want me to point that out to my Dad," Kurt laughed, leaning over to give Blaine a quick peck on the lips before getting out of the car and flouncing to the front door of his house. He turned and gave a flirty wave before disappearing inside, happier than he had been in a very long time.


	11. Chapter 10  Customs and Reactions

_**Chapter 10**_

_**"The custom of presenting one's potential mate with a necklace to mark their status as claimed has been a long established practice in the Lycan community, although it has fallen out of disfavor in many of the more progressive packs due its corruption by the leaders of the fundamentalist movements in the late twentieth and early twenty first century. These fundamentalist movements took this practice, which at one time was seen as a gesture of respect and love, and turned into a symbol of dominance and degradation when they began to refer to it as "collaring" and used it as a way in which to humiliate and even torture submissive mates."**_

_**-an excerpt from Lycans: Life, Love, and Mythos by Arthur Abrams of Lima**_

Several days later, Kurt was still riding on the joy of his and Blaine's moonlit run. He practically skipped into the kitchen for dinner. He'd spent the day looking over swatches and making lists of things they'd need for their home. Blaine had quickly responded to all of his texts about things. He was brought crashing back down to earth at his brother's words.

"Dude, you let him put a collar on you?" Finn said shocked. "That's like so wrong, unless you're into being treated like a dog."

"Finn!" Carole admonished her son for talking so vulgarly to his step-brother.

Kurt's hands flew up to his neck and touched the necklace there. He was so used to wearing it that it felt like a part of him. The tee-shirt he'd picked to wear obviously was low enough cut that the necklace was visible. He knew he was blushing violently and he was so shocked at Finn's words that he couldn't even form a coherent response. Burt and Carole looked at each other, not sure what to do. They'd never imagined dealing with this sort of thing.

"It's not a collar. It's a necklace from my future mate." Kurt managed at last, his hands still touching the necklace. "I expected flak about it from the rest of the pack, but not from my own family. I thought you knew me better!"

"Kurt…" Carole tried to find some words of comfort for her step-son.

"Don't. Don't any of you say another word to me." Kurt stomped from the kitchen and to his bedroom so he could hide, suddenly ashamed that he'd reacted in the same way as Finn when the necklace had first been presented to him.

"Talk about perfect timing" Burt sighed when the doorbell rang. At this time of the evening, he knew it was Blaine. "Kid."

"Hello, Mr. Hummel. Is Kurt around?"

"He's around alright, but I'm not sure that you'll be seeing him. What the hell are you doing putting a collar on my son?" Burt didn't care if he was being rude or hostile to his son's mate. There were going to be some explanations.

"Really?" Blaine asked. "I gave Kurt a necklace that belonged to my grandmother to show my love for him. What's the problem? Can I see him or should I go home to Westerville?"

"A necklace? That's all it is?" Burt demanded.

"Of course that's all it is Mr. Hummel. I would never disrespect Kurt in that way," Blaine said stiffly.

"Alright kid. I just had to be sure. He's in his room."

Blaine slipped off his shoes before he climbed on the bed and snuggled close to Kurt, who was lying there, clearly upset if his body language gave any indication.

"Staying in your room this much isn't healthy."

"No one gives me crap in my room, Blaine. My own brother thought I'd let you put a collar on me. I can't believe he'd actually say that to me, but you know what hurt the most? Hearing Finn say those things back to me hurt because I said them to you. I'm so sorry Blaine. I should've known better. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Kurt, I know you didn't mean what you said to me. I know it was all overwhelming at the time and we've been able to move past it."

"But they should have known. They're my family and they completely disregarded who I was. They were only seeing a collar that doesn't even exist."

"I'm sorry honey. Is there anything I can do to make it better?" Blaine would give the sun and the moon to make Kurt smile again. He was so hurt on Kurt's behalf.

"Just be here with me, please." Kurt asked.

"I will be here as long as you want me to be here." Blaine tightened his arms around Kurt and began to hum a beautiful melody. It wasn't long before Kurt relaxed and drifted off to sleep. Blaine slipped out of bed and went upstairs. His mate had a tendency to nap when he was upset. He was pleased to find Finn outside because he didn't want their conversation to wake up Kurt.

"Hey man."

"Don't hey man me Finn Hudson! You really hurt your brother by making those distasteful comments about his necklace. That's similar to what Karofsky said to him."

"I didn't know. I've never seen anything like that before."

"Oh really? No one gives gifts to potential mates in your pack? You've never given Rachel a gift?" Blaine demanded.

"It's not the same." Finn blustered.

"How is it not the same? Is it because of Kurt's blue eyes? Do you only think of him as a breeder? Or is it just because we're gay Finn? Please explain to me exactly how it's different?" Blaine spat.

"You're putting words in my mouth!" Finn floundered.

"Am I? Did you ever hear of thinking before you speak or asking him what it was instead of jumping to conclusions?"

"Hey, dude. Kurt is the one who wigged out on us and didn't explain anything. We were caught off guard."

"Kurt doesn't have to tell you anything, Finn. He's not required to share everything with you. Did you ever think it was a private thing between the two of us? Of course you didn't."

"I've never seen a collar on a dude expect for in porn. Never expected to see someone like Kurt wearing one. It was just weird."

"Do you think so little of your brother that he'd wear a collar and so little of me that I would need to put a collar on him? Do you think I would treat him like I owned him?" Blaine was angry.

"Your pack is pretty traditional, so it's not a stretch to think that way." Finn tried to excuse his actions.

"Oh my god. Kurt was right. People really are stupid."

"What did you say to me?" Finn snarled.

"Hey, hey, hey. There will be no throwing down in my backyard." Burt intervened before the two of them started tearing each other up. "Finn, when Kurt gets up, you will apologize to him."

"Finn's not the only one who needs to apologize to Kurt."

"I don't think I heard my ears right." Burt looked at Blaine.

"I get why Kurt is so skittish and so skeptical when people try to be nice to him because he's treated like this by his own family. I thought you would all be supportive to him."

"Hey, kid. You're the one who put a collar on him. Do you seriously think the boys at Dalton are going to see it as a necklace? Because where I'm standing, that's not what it looks like," Burt said.

"And from where I'm standing, you're wrong," Kurt's icy voice cut across the darkening night sky. "It's not a collar and I'm tired of everyone saying it is. Do you think I'd really let him put a collar on me? How dare you imply that Blaine would do that to me!"

"Kurt…"

"No. Blaine and I are going out and we'll be back later." Kurt said.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Burt said.

"Don't use that tone of voice on me, Daddy." Kurt looked at his father. "Use it again and I won't be coming back home at all."

"Are we going to do this, Kurt?"

"Only if you force it, Dad. I've accepted Blaine and this arrangement and I know I can be happy with him. You are the one who initiated this whole thing, now you have to learn to deal with the consequences of that," Kurt said taking Blaine's hand and stalking out of the house. Burt watched him go wondering exactly when his baby boy had grown up.

In the weeks leading up to the ceremony, Kurt and Blaine continued to spend as much time with each other as Blaine's duties as Alpha in Training and Kurt's planning of the mating allowed. Now that Kurt had accepted the mating and allowed himself to really get to know Blaine, Kurt found himself completely unable to resist the other boy. Blaine was everything Kurt had dreamed of finding for himself. He was charming and intelligent and thoughtful and so sexy he made Kurt's mouth water. This was probably how Kurt had allowed himself to be talked into the position he was currently in… on Dalton's grounds in a private parking lot that was used by the students anytime they wanted to be away from the prying eyes of professors and parents. While this covered a whole range of activities, such as the planning for the infamous panty raid against Crawford which was spearheaded by Wes, most frequently the lot was used by young couples in the pack when they wanted a little alone time.

Kurt didn't know all of that however, nor did he care. He was too busy being melted into a puddle of goo by the searing kisses Blaine was delivering.

As Blaine moved from his lips down his neck, Kurt couldn't stop the breathy moan that escaped him. Blaine smirked and grew bolder, his hand sliding to the buttons on Kurt's shirt. Kurt didn't even consider resisting as Blaine slowly and quite deftly unbuttoned them all and let his hands glide over Kurt's firm stomach. Kurt let out another low moan of pleasure as Blaine's hand moved around his back and down to his ass. Who knew how far things would've gone if Blaine hadn't had to stop kissing him to attempt to unbuckle the intricate belt Kurt was wearing. Kurt's brain suddenly kicked back in gear and he pulled back.

"Blaine," he said breathlessly, feeling entirely too warm and tingly in places he hadn't known could feel quite so good.

"Hmm?" Blaine murmured, having given up on the belt and reattached himself to Kurt's neck.

"Blaine stop," Kurt's voice squeaked a bit high; as he pushed his almost mate away.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you? Did I go too fast?" Blaine said frowning worriedly. His hair was almost completely free of the gel he normally wore and his lips were slightly swollen from kissing. Kurt had a brief moment of wondering why in the hell he had stopped him before his common sense kicked in. They couldn't do this… not here. They had to wait until after the mating.

"I just… I'm not…" Kurt stuttered. "I'm just not ready to go there yet."

"Ok baby," Blaine said, pulling away and taking deep shuddering breaths as he attempted to control his more animal urges that were begging him not to stop. He pulled Kurt to him carefully re-buttoning his shirt as he brushed gentle kisses against his lips.

"I…I'm sorry," Kurt said, biting his lip.

"Hey… none of that. You have nothing to be sorry for. We will never do anything like this unless we both want it," Blaine reassured him. "My grandfather raised me to be a gentleman."

"Your grandfather? What about your father?" Kurt asked, frowning. He knew Blaine didn't get along well with his father and Wesley had mentioned that his father didn't have much time for him while he was growing up, but he didn't realize that he had actually been raised by his grandfather.

"My mother died in childbirth with me. My father, he's not like yours Kurt. He had… other interests and didn't care to deal with me so Grandfather raised me. I'm a lot more like him than I am Father, much to his disappointment," Blaine responded.

"I wish I could have got to know him," Kurt said. A look of pain flashed through Blaine's golden eyes as he shook his head.

"Me too… he'd have loved you. His death three years ago was just so… unexpected. The healers said it was a heart attack. I miss him every single day there's just this hole in my life where he used to be. He was a great man and our pack was strong and happy… full of life and love. That's when my father became Alpha and everything changed," Blaine said, his lips twisting bitterly. "He's not a nice man Kurt."

"Blaine…" Kurt began only to be interrupted by the other boy.

"Sometimes I think I should have told him no to this alliance. I hate that I'm dragging you into this Kurt, but you have to know things in Westerville aren't as orderly and controlled as they seem to outsiders. Father rules with an iron fist and there are people, a lot of people actually, who he has hurt __

to maintain his order. I do what I can for my pack… I'm trying to change things but, I'm not ready to challenge him yet. You can back out of this if you want. I'm not going to force you to go through with the mating if it's too much for you. I should have told you all of this from the beginning. If you do go through with it though, I will protect you Kurt. I promise," Blaine said looking steadily at Kurt to judge his reaction. Kurt's eyes widened as he took in Blaine's words. A look of steely resolution crossed his face as he gazed at the boy across from him.

"Of course we'll go through with it, and when you're ready, I'll do whatever I can to help you, then we'll heal the hurt your father has caused together," he said simply.

Blaine shook his head in wonder.

"You're pretty amazing. Do you know that?" he murmured, pulling Kurt to him and kissing him senseless once more.


	12. Chapter 11 The Mating Ceremony Nears

_**"The mating ceremony is one of the most ancient and beautiful of Lycan customs. It is a joining of lives, love, souls, families, and sometimes even packs. There are three components to a Lycan mating: legal… which consists of the actual ceremony performed by a recognized official, spiritual... which consists of the pursuit and biting of a submissive mate by a dominant one, and the physical… which consists of the actual physical act of mating. No mating is complete until all three of these components have been fulfilled."**_

_**-an excerpt from Lycans: Life, Love, and Mythos by Arthur Abrams**_

Blaine had begun taking Kurt out to Westerville more and more. He wanted Kurt to get to know the people of the pack. While Kurt could admit to being very interested in the community, it was the only completely Lycan city in the US, he also was frequently uncomfortable with the blatant stares he received wherever they went. He did his best to ignore them, however, and concentrate instead on the warm welcome Blaine received wherever he went. The people of the pack clearly adored him and it was not uncommon for people to stop him with an issue they wanted him to deal with or a piece of information they thought he should know. Westerville was a large pack, much bigger than the Lima pack Kurt was a part of, and yet Blaine seemed to know every single member by name and treated all of them with equal courtesy and respect. Kurt couldn't help but admire the easy way Blaine had with people and how he dealt with any problems brought his way. He would make an outstanding Alpha someday.

"Well, you certainly have a nice coffee house here in Westerville." Kurt smiled looking around the cozy little café. He instinctively ducked his head as he felt the stares directed his way, but brought it back up again with pride as he felt Blaine's hand on his back.

"We try. Honestly, it's probably why I have such a weakness for coffee. I've always loved this place. I used to come here with Grandfather. He'd buy me cookies and hot cocoa," he said smiling. Kurt couldn't help but smile back, especially when he thought of a young Blaine spending time here with his Grandfather.

"So, are you getting nervous yet?" Kurt asked once they were seated.

"About what?" Blaine asked, frowning. His mind was clearly still on the whispered conversation he'd had with Wes just before they'd entered into the shop. Whatever it was about had sent Wes scurrying off in search of his father.

"It's only two weeks until we make it official." Kurt said, doing his best to distract Blaine.

"Now why would I be nervous? I'm going to be mating with the most gorgeous lycan I have ever had the pleasure of meeting," Blaine said. "What about you? Are you nervous?"

"A little maybe," Kurt admitted shrugging as he took a sip of his latte. "I'm going to be in a new pack, a new school, a new home."

"I'm sure that is a bit daunting, but I know something that might help a little bit. Would you like to go look at the house today? You haven't seen it since things have started arriving," Blaine inquired.

"That would be fabulous, unless you have other plans," Kurt said. As he had come to realize all that Blaine did for Westerville, he had begun to feel a bit selfish about all of the time which the Alpha in Training had been devoting to wooing Kurt.

"The only plan I have is to spend all day with you," Blaine said taking his hand and kissing it.

"Oh," Kurt blushed, amazed that this special man was going to be all his in just a few short weeks.

At the house…

"Blaine! Oh my God! Everything looks amazing," Kurt practically squealed in delight as Blaine toured him through all of the rooms downstairs. "This is even better than I pictured it. I can't believe we were able to get everything online, and you set it up exactly how I wanted it. Thank you Blaine! Thank you so much."

"It was my pleasure Kurt, and, to be fair, I had a lot of help from Wes' Mom in getting everything set up in here," Blaine modestly replied. "Do you want to check out the other rooms?"

"Definitely," Kurt responded.

"Then follow me my good sir," Blaine said playfully before leading him up the stairs.

Walking into the bedroom, Kurt gasped in pleasure. Everything looked so much better in person than it had on the internet. The bed was beautiful. Its rich wood set against the deep green walls looked amazing.

"Wow! This is perfect, absolutely perfect!" Kurt gushed, thrilled that he was going to be able to spend the rest of his life in this house with this man.

"I couldn't agree more," Blaine murmured, with a predatory gleam in his eyes which Kurt had come to know and love.

Before he knew it, he found himself in Blaine's arms being kissed passionately and gently maneuvered onto the bed. Blaine lowered himself slowly on top of him, giving Kurt the chance to stop him if he wanted, something which Kurt had no intention of doing. With a low groan of pleasure, Blaine latched onto Kurt's neck and began to lick and suck at the tender flesh. Kurt wove his fingers through Blaine's curls relishing the feelings which Blaine was instilling in him.

"What is this need to give me hickeys?" Kurt asked, his voice coming out breathy and deeper than normal.

"Hey. I'm an Alpha. It's my instinct to mark my territory." Blaine smirked, looking up at Kurt with teasing eyes as his dipped down to nuzzle at the reddish purple mark he had left behind.

"Oh, so now I'm your territory?" Kurt said without the bite he would normally have in his voice.

"Definitely," Blaine grinned.

"I guess I should just be grateful you didn't decide to pee on me then," Kurt teased. Blaine couldn't help the laugh that burst out of him.

"That's just wrong, Kurt. Just so wrong," Blaine chuckled.

"Hey, you're the one who's talking about marking his territory, Blaine." Kurt reminded him.

"God, I love you," Blaine said, his eyes filled with the simple joy of being with Kurt.

"I love you too," Kurt responded, gently kissing Blaine.

December 19th…

"Thanks for being here today." Kurt said as he closed another box of things to go to the new house in Westerville.

"I know this was going to be hard for you, so I wanted to be here for you." Blaine rested a hand on Kurt's back, keeping a respectful distance from his intended mate in deference to it being Burt's house.

"This is so cliché, you know… going from my father's house to my mate's house."

"It's traditional Kurt, not cliché. We're gay Lycans, one of whom is capable of giving birth, there's nothing even remotely cliché about us," Blaine lightly said.

"True," Kurt conceded with a giggle. "I guess it's just that so much is changing so fast, Blaine. In the last three months, everything has been going a hundred miles an hour."

"Oh Kurt," Blaine said pulling him into a hug and rubbing soothing circles on his back. "Things will get better soon. After the mating, we'll get settled in our home and it will be a couple of weeks before Dalton starts so we can slow down."

"I know. I think maybe I'm being overly emotional because my family celebrated Christmas early." Kurt said. "My Dad and Carole said I wouldn't be in any mood to be here on the day."

"They're right, Kurt. The mating process is a lot of sex and sleeping." Blaine said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Kurt squeaked nervously.

"It's nothing unexpected love. Everyone who mates goes through the same process," Blaine soothed, puzzled by his intended's skittishness.

"So for the next few weeks all we're going to be doing is… that?" Kurt asked pulling away from Blaine who couldn't help but notice how pale Kurt had gotten or how the other boy's hands were shaking.

"Kurt, the sex is just another way to strengthen our bond to each other. It's a way to get closer to each other."

"I'm not worried about the emotions, Blaine," Kurt huffed.

"What are you worried about then?"

"The physical stuff is daunting, Blaine. I mean…I've never…I couldn't," Kurt stuttered.

"Kurt, come here baby," Blaine said pulling Kurt over to sit next to him on the bed. By this time, Kurt was completely mortified over the whole discussion. "Now take a deep breath and explain to me why you're so nervous about this."

"You were my first kiss, Blaine. How can you or anyone think that I would be more comfortable with anything else, especially when I don't know what to expect?" Kurt asked head bowed and eyes downcast. Blaine gently lifted his chin, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"Baby, I don't want to rush you, but we're being mated in two days." Blaine paused for a moment. "Hasn't your Dad talked to you about things?"

"Blaine, that would only leave us both traumatized."

"Right... ok… We're a couple. We can talk about things like this. Now, there are a few things you need to know about the night of mating. Have you ever been to a ceremony?"

"No, my Dad kept me out of those things. I think maybe he was worried it would traumatize me knowing I'd have to go through it one day," Kurt shrugged.

"Oh, well. Okay." Blaine resisted the urge to sigh heavily. "The night begins with our packs forming a circle around the altar. They will part and we will meet in the middle. Now, there will be some greetings of the packs, Latin recitations, and then we will drink the Wolfsbane that will force us into our wolf forms."

"I know that much, Blaine. I convinced Artie to give a basic rundown of the ceremony itself. He wouldn't tell me anymore after the part about the transformation," Kurt admitted.

"Ok… well after the transformation…then…" Blaine paused taking a deep breath and looking nervously at Kurt.

"Then what, Blaine?" Kurt asked looking mildly terrified.

"It is not a big deal," Blaine soothed.

"Oh my God that means it is a big deal… people always say that it's not when it is!" Kurt said panicked. "Just tell me… what happens next?

"I will be chasing you down and biting you hard enough to draw blood. If we do it right, that initiates the bonding process. We'll revert to our human forms and pass out for a while."

"You have to bite me?" Kurt squealed. "And then we're going to be out in the woods alone completely passed out? What if I bleed to death?"

"I'm going to bite you Kurt, not rip your throat out. I'll be as gentle as possible. I promise," Blaine said kissing the fingers on Kurt's hand. "And we won't be completely alone. Appointed pack members will be following us at a discrete distance. Once we are out to the world, they will take us somewhere safe. The strength of the bond is dictated by how long we are passed out for. It could be minutes or hours. The longer we're out, the stronger our bond will be."

"Okay." Feeling somewhat better and hoping that they would be out for a while. Kurt liked the idea of having a strong bond with Blaine.

"Over the next few weeks, we can't be very far apart, not that we're going to want to be anyway. Our sex drive will increase dramatically, it's pretty much all we'll be thinking about."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard the phrase, going at it like rabbits?" Blaine grinned. Kurt shook his head, his eyes wide with horror.

"I can't go through with this," he choked out. "There's no way!" Blaine watched him panic for a moment, biting his lip in thought.

"Kurt, I need to ask you something and I want you to be completely honest alright?" Blaine said seriously.

"Ok," Kurt agreed frowning.

"You've been reluctant from the beginning. Is it because you were forced into this or is it me?" Blaine asked. "Because if it's me Kurt, we don't have to go through with this. I really care about you and I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

"No, it's not you. You're just you, Blaine. You're going to be the Alpha and know what to do. And you're just wow, Blaine. You're perfect. Even if I had a say, it would have been you. This is all me. You were my first kiss and I have no experience. I'm scared and you're so confident and sure of everything," Kurt finally admitted.

"It's only because I've educated myself, Kurt. It's not like I've ever had someone to practice on."

"I am going to fail spectacularly at this."

"Kurt, you're working yourself up for nothing. You'll know. Your body will know what to do when the time comes. It comes naturally. This is a time of learning. Learning what we like and what doesn't do it for us." Blaine answered. "Being intimate isn't all about the physical; it's the emotional side of things too. I may know more of the physical aspects, but you're light years ahead of me in the emotional department."

"Really?" Kurt asked timidly.

"Yeah Kurt. Really," Blaine said leaning in to capture Kurt's lips in a kiss that was both sweet and searing with a promise of what was to come between them. When Blaine finally pulled away, both boys were completely breathless.

"Wow," Kurt sighed. Blaine smiled softly at him, brushing a hand down his cheek.

"After that, can you honestly believe you're going to be bad at this? Because from where I'm sitting, you're a natural."

December 20th…

"There's somewhere I want to go today." Kurt told Blaine.

"All right." Blaine nodded. "Where do you want me to take you?"

"I want to go to my mom's grave today. I need to talk to her."

Graveyard…

Blaine watched Kurt as he knelt at his mother's gravesite carefully clearing off the debris that had accumulated there since his last visit. He stood up and gestured for Blaine to join him taking his hand.

"Mom, this is Blaine. He's my intended. I'm sorry I haven't brought him to you before, but, well, this whole thing was sort of unexpected. Dad and Will arranged it to protect me from Sue. I know what you're thinking, but Dad meant well and it's ok because… he's pretty wonderful Mom," Kurt said quietly glancing sidelong at Blaine to gauge his reaction. Blaine smiled and squeezed Kurt's hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Hummel. Thank you for giving me Kurt. I think he's pretty wonderful too and I," Blaine stopped suddenly and stiffened, pushing Kurt protectively behind him.

"How many times do I have to kick your ass before you get the point?" Blaine growled at Karofsky who had stepped out from a nearby mausoleum.

"You haven't sealed the deal, Anderson. He's going to change his mind and be with me."

"You are out of your mind, Karofsky." Blaine shook his head. "As much as I'd love to, I'm not going to fight you here because this is sacred ground to Kurt and I won't taint it with bloodshed."

"Like you care about him. Everyone knows this was an arranged match to keep the little breeder safe." Karofsky taunted.

"Just because it was arranged doesn't mean there aren't real emotions involved." Blaine turned to the boys of his pack that had been shadowing the two of them. "Boys, please remove him and make sure he doesn't interrupt us for the next couple of days."

"You got it, Blaine. We'd be happy to keep him away."

Hummel Home…

"I'm sorry he showed up today. Especially in that place." Blaine wished he had more words to say to make his intended feel better.

"I'm so tired of him causing problems for me. I just wish he'd leave me alone," Kurt was just exhausted trying to fight for everything.

"I know baby. Don't worry this will all be over soon," Blaine comforted him, pulling him into a tight hug. Kurt pulled back slightly to look searchingly into Blaine's eyes.

"Blaine, what did you mean earlier when you said that there were real emotions involved?" he questioned.

"I meant what I said the other day Kurt. It wasn't just some heat of the moment thing. I have deep feelings for you, Kurt. You are so strong and carry yourself with such grace and dignity. I love you utterly and completely," Kurt leaned over and gave Blaine a sweet kiss. He never dreamed he could have his feelings returned like this. It was so amazing to him the way that his heart was filled with complete happiness and his soul was filled with hope for a beautiful future with his mate, the man he loved.

_**THE END!**_

_Special Author's Note...We will be posting four more stories in this series that will follow Kurt and Blaine's growing relationship, pack changes, and their lives together. Stay tuned for more stories. Cindy and I had a lot of fun writing these stories and we're deeply appreciative of everyone's wonderful comments and encouragement._


	13. AUTHOR'S NOTE

AUTHORS NOTE-MARCH 9, 2012

THE SERIES IS AS FOLLOWS...

-WITH OPEN EYES(PART ONE)

-ONE HEART, ONE HAND, ONE LIFE (PART TWO)

-PART THREE IN PROGRESS

-PART FOUR IN PROGRESS

-EPILOGUE IN PROGRESS


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